Black Trauma
by Kiki-Rosa
Summary: Bella Swan is completing her final year as a surgical intern at Washington East Memorial Hospital when tragedy strikes. While dealing with the tragedy Bella becomes torn between two great men who themselves have their own issues to overcome. Enter romance, desire, suspense and above all else determination to overcome even the most out of reach possibilities. Bella/Jacob Bella/OC
1. 1 Shattered Awareness

**Disclaimer:** This is _fan_fiction_._

**Title: **Black Trauma

**Rating:** Rated 'M' for 'Foul language, mild alcohol use, and sexual implications.'

**Genre:** Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, General, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,

**Warnings:** Adult Content, Discriminatory Language, OOC

**Pairings: **Bella/OC, Bella/Jacob

**Character/Word Count: **2,811characters/ 503 words

**Summary: **Bella Swan is completing her final year as a surgical intern at Washington East Memorial Hospital when tragedy strikes. While dealing with the tragedy Bella becomes torn between two great men who themselves have their own issues to overcome. Enter romance, desire, suspense and above all else determination to overcome even the most out of reach possibilities.

**Author's Notes I: **Hey guys. No I haven't disappeared into the abyss and forgotten about you. I do fully intend to finish my other two stories but this one was bursting to come out. I have to thank Kym for pre-reading this and encouraging me as always and dontcallmeleelee for the amazing banner. I love it! Anyway here is the first chapter so - enjoy.

**Shattered Awareness **

Raindrops.

Beautiful, featherlike, tear shaped water droplets falling freely from the sky in a mesmerizing rhythmic dance.

That was all Bella Swan could think about as she laid motionless on the cold hard concrete floor that was her laundry room. The struggle barley evident on her bruised and battered face as her tired brain worked overtime pleading with her hands to move and put pressure on her exposed wounds or for her hoarse voice to call for help in case he came back. For her body to do anything other than just lie there on the dusty cold floor. But her body was just as stubborn as her mind.

She listened as the wooden door leading from the laundry room to the over grown back garden and lawn, that was in desperate need for a cut, swung violently with the onslaught of wind that came from the electrifyingly dangerous storm that seemed to be punishing Washington a little more than what was considered usual for this time of year.

Bella had thought she would have been used to storms of this magnitude, but they were basically unheard of in her hometown of Forks, Washington. The rain however was not uncommon or a sore sight to see as the lush greenery surrounding the city reminded her of her father and childhood home. A place where it basically rained 365 days out of the year. Yes - once upon a time Bella Swan had loved the rain. Often curling up in her small bed on the second floor of her father's house listening as the soft droplets fell from the dark moody skies at varying speeds of forcefulness imagining the beautifully dreary wet aftermath it would leave behind in its wake. But not tonight.

Tonight her imagination took on a whole other world. Apart from the rolling rumble in the sky and the slam of the wooden door her two story house was completely silent, no thanks in part to the fact that Bella was a fourth year surgical resident at Washington East Memorial Hospital coming off a thirsty six hour shift. Normally she would beg for the peace and bask in the quiet of not having her three rowdy housemates trampling all through the house but today – today she need the noise. Today she prayed for their chaos.

Bella could feel the thump of her heart as it tried to work overtime, compensating for all her injuries as the knowingly red thick liquid fell from her exposed wounds and begin to pool in circles around her motionless body. The darkness of the night, something that had never scared her before was now like a torturous nightmare as it frighteningly closed in on her. She tried to focus on her surroundings but was only able to make out small things through the flashes of lightening as each bolt illuminated the sky and her wrecked surroundings.

Raindrops.

Blistering cold dark thunderous raindrops. Pelting down in a harsh rage. That was all Bella Swan could think about.

**Author's Notes II: **I know it was short. But I promise more in the next chapter is full of goodness. R&amp;R :)


	2. 2 Help Me Make It Through The Night

**Disclaimer:** This is _fan_fiction_._

**Title: **Black Trauma

**Rating:** Rated 'M' for 'Foul language, mild alcohol use, and sexual implications.'

**Genre:** Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, General, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,

**Warnings:** Adult Content, Discriminatory Language, OOC

**Pairings:** Bella/OC, Bella/ Jacob

**Character/Word Count: **15,159 characters/ 2,724 words

**Summary: **Bella Swan is completing her final year as a surgical intern at Washington East Memorial Hospital when tragedy strikes. While dealing with the tragedy Bella becomes torn between two great men who themselves have their own issues to overcome. Enter romance, desire, suspense and above all else determination to overcome even the most out of reach possibilities.

**Author's Notes I: **Thank you to everyone who has added/commented/favourited me and the story. As always I am overwhelmed by all the wonderful support. So because I was feeling generous – here is the next chapter.

**2\. Help Me Make It Through The Night**

The harsh wail from the oncoming ambulance siren always managed to send a shiver of excitement down Dr. Kobi Patel's spine whenever he heard it off in the distance. He could practically envision the vehicle frantically weaving its way dangerously in and out of traffic as the paramedics tried to stabilize whatever unfortunate patient happened to be on board. The call for the latest casualty had come in only fifteen minutes earlier over the loudspeaker at the main desk of the trauma department of Washington East Memorial Hospital or WEMH for short.

As the Head of the Trauma Department Kobi, or Patel as he was usually called, had the devine pleasure in overseeing every single one of the hospitals interns, nurses and residents that braved stepping foot down in his pit. He wasn't known for being a merciful guy. The war in Afghanistan had seen to that, but he was damn good at his job and not much rattled him. He was precise with his hands and known for quickly assessing each situation as it presented itself. He was great on his toes, a skill that had come in handy many times while he had been out in the field with AK's shooting dangerously close around him. Many had said he was a natural born leader. So with all that and his ability to be levelheaded when presented with whatever came through those sliding doors it had made him a virtual shoe in for the vacant position at the hospital almost three years earlier.

"What do we have?" Dr. Kate Tanner asked in her no nonsense voice as she came rushing through the sliding doors that led to the waiting bay for the ambulance, working to tie her plastic apron at the back of her light blue scrubs.

"Twenty-eight year old female. Reported home invasion. It's supposed to be pretty bad" Patel answered as Drs. Brianna Young, Oscar de'Oni and Dani Halloway all came rushing through the sliding doors and waited behind them. Each dressed in the mandatory surgical aprons.

All were residents in their fourth year of the surgical program at the hospital and normally would be complaining about having to spend time down in the pit with him but part of their residency meant that they had to log a certain amount of hours in each of the main departments, gaining knowledge in all areas available so that when it came time to sit their boards at the end of their fifth year residency they would have gained enough experience and confidence to pick a specialty that they could stick with for the rest of their careers. Patel knew that each of them were component enough in their jobs, but that didn't mean he had a soft spot for them. Patel had never been one to get attached to people and only a very small select few had managed to push their way through the walls he had built.

So when the Chief of Surgery, Benjamin Rowland ordered the residents to start adhering to the policy or risk being kicked out of the program Patel had found himself uncharacteristically excited. One of the few people who had managed to leave a yearning effect on him was fourth year resident Bella Swan. She was fast on her feet, great with her patients, smart, pretty and above all else - a natural at surgery. He had been hoping that with the new regulations being put into place he would be able to spend more quality time with her – even it was over the disfigured body of some bloodied patient and under the guise of a mentor.

"Alright" Kate answered with slightly more enthusiasm.

All Patel and Bella had ever had between them was fleeting moments. An accidental touch here, a slip of words there but Patel was careful. There was no written rule in the hospital stating that an attending couldn't be involved with a resident, but it was definitely frowned down upon and normally he would push those feelings aside and not pursue the matter further. He didn't want something that was so uncertain risking the stability of their careers. But he was still human and certain that she felt the same twinge of excitement he did whenever they were near each other. Patel quite took pleasure in being able to brush up against her in the haste of assessing an incoming patient and forcing her to involuntarily blush at his supposed clumsiness. But just as quick as the blush appeared so did her quick wit - using it to brush of the incidents and providing him with the much needed amusement that so often got him through the long shifts. So when the other residents had presented for their shift Patel had been a more than a little disappointed not to find her on his service tonight.

The screeching sound of tyres coming to a halt in front of them brought Patel out of his thoughts his body instinctively jumping into action as the doors to the back of the ambulance flew open and a young brunette paramedic jumped out before reaching for the gurney, pulling it with a big heave ho as the retractable wheels fell down catching themselves on the ground.

"What do we got" Patel asked jumping back slightly to allow her some room.

"Twenty seven year old Jane Doe. Post trauma. Suspected home invasion. Multiple stab wounds and possible severe hypothermia." The paramedic started saying before being cut off.

"She's not a Jane Doe." A blood splattered Adam King, another fourth year resident said slightly annoyed but frantic as he jumped from the back of the rig while maintaining his steady compression on Bella's chest not paying anyone other than the lifeless body of his friend and housemate attention.

"King?" the residents said in unison, surprise and clearly not expecting to see their fellow doctor.

"It's Bella Swan. It's Bella" He said helplessly as he finally looked up and took stock of the other doctors.

"Initial GCS four of six, dropped to one in transit. BP eighty over sixty." The paramedic began again ignorant to the significance of the woman lying on the gurney, "We were able to give her two of EPI and stabilize most of the bleeding before she stopped breathing" The woman finished looking at Tanner then to Patel waiting for him to give her instructions on how to proceed.

"How long was she like this" Tanner asked looking at Adam as she came out of shock and rushed to Bella's side, checking over the basics.

"I- I don't. I'm- I'm not sure" Adam answered confused almost as if he was trying to count back in time and figure out how long Bella had possibly been down before he found her.

"Adam!" Tanner yelled to gain his attention.

"Is she alive?" Patel demanded at the same time his voice desperate.

"I don't know." Adam said answering both of his attending's. "Her shift ended at six. I just found her on the ground in a pool of her own blood thirty five minutes ago. I called for help and put pressure on her wounds but her body started shutting down on the way here." He finished as the others all checked their watches.

2018 flashed in clear green light across Patel's worn but trusted watch. His mind easily doing the maths. Bella was a creature of habit – meaning she had to have headed straight home from the hospital once her shift had ended. Normally she would have stopped at the local bar, but since her friends were standing across from him also trying to do the maths he very much doubt she had. Which meant that Bella had to have taken the twenty minute drive home and could have possibly been lying there in pain for at least two and a half hours if not more.

"Ok look. You need to help me get her inside. Young page the Chief and whoever else is available. We are going to need all hands on deck" Tanner said taking control of the situation.

Patel and the three other interns kicked into action joining Tanner and King by each grabbing hold of the metal railing on the gurney with an iron fist grip and pushing it as fast as it would go into the pit leaving the paramedic behind in the ambulance bay. To them there would be no other cases that night which would take precedence over one of their own and to everyone there Bella was like family.

"Clear a trauma room. Stat. Move it" she yelled over the chaos of the pit as people rushed passed trying to help the injured and sick that were already there as Young returned.

"The chief is on his way and the nurse is paging whoever is free" she said distantly as she stared down at the motionless form of her partner in crime. Ever since Brianna had started in the surgical program it had been a well-known fact that her and Bella Swan were the residents to look out for. Somehow they both managed to always be on top of their games no matter what the circumstances. Young was driven but deathly smart and had quickly taken a fancy to gynecology while Bella was more methodical had considered all her options before settling on cardiothorasic's. It had been a no brainer for them from the get go to start a friendship. The two of them easily falling into to sync - mostly because Young came across as robotic and cold and Bella somehow seemed to be the only one to truly see her for what she was. Driven. It was an unspoken appreciation between the two and usually where one was the other wasn't too far behind. Bella challenged Young on a daily basis. Using her natural smarts to force Brianna to stay on her feet. It was a bond Brianna appreciated and held to herself dearly. It was almost as if they were sisters.

"Young. De'Oni. Halloway. King - out" " Patel ordered with forced authority. He felt for them. He truly did. He knew from the war what it felt like to be presented with a situation like this and pray for the need to fight tooth and nail to save that someone. Hell he felt it now and even though he wanted to breakdown at the thought of all his missed chances with the woman that lay before him, he needed to pull it together enough so that he could at least have the opportunity to take that chance in the future. "If you want to help her – get out" he said again this time with slightly less authority as the four doctors hovered over Bella's lifeless body.

"You can't be in here" Tanner said agreeing with Patel when she saw them hesitate. Reluctantly one by one the residents stepped outside the room and took up position in front of the window watching on as Kobi Patel and Kate Tanner worked methodically on Bella.

"You have Bella Swan?" The chief asked rushing past the residents and into the room Dr. Taylor Richardson, Head of Cardio hot on his heels.

"She's been down at least twenty minutes. Multiple stab wounds. Definite hypothermia. No sound in her lungs" Tanner said addressing the men as she listening through her stethoscope.

"Alright. Put a central line in and push one of EPI" the chief said rushing to the other side of Kate.

"Her temp is only eighty degrees" Richardson said looking up at the monitor "Get me another blanket" he yelled to no one but watching as the others fussed over Bella.

"She needs an ABG" Patel said looking at Richardson as Casandra Dixon, Head of Gynecology and Flynn Hurst, Head of Neurosurgery came through the door.

"We just heard. It's Swan? What can we do?" Hurst question almost like he didn't believe it before the two of them took Bella's state in.

"Oh my god" Dixon said without thought, the sadness evident in the otherwise strong woman's voice.

"Push one of Atropine" the Chief ordered while placing a grey woolen blanket the nurse had bought in over Bella's body just as the high pitched continuous beep of the monitor alerted them all to the fact that Bella was crashing.

"She's in V-fib." Dixon announced.

"I need the crash cart" Tanner yelled as Patel ripped open Bella's shirt exposing her pale pink bra as a nurse pushed the paddles into her hands.

"Charge to two hundred" Tanner ordered. "Clear" she yelled before placing the paddles directly onto Bella's chest sending a shockwave of electricity through her body forcing it to lurch from the gurney quickly and fall back down with a thud. All attention was on the monitor. Watching and waiting for the little yellow line to show any sign of activity.

"Charge to three hundred" Tanner ordered again before placing the paddles back on Bella's chest. "Clear" Again watching and waiting but the monitor showed nothing as she tried one last time. "Charge to four hundred" The nurse hesitated. Four hundred watts was more than usually allowed to be given to a patient. "Charge to four hundred" Tanner ordered again with confidence. The nurse didn't hesitate the second time. Instead increasing the wattage on the machine before Tanner placed the paddles down and yelled "Clear" a final time. Time stopped. In that moment all eyes once again watched and prayed for movement on the tiny monitor.

"She's asystole" Dixon said repeatedly after what felt like minutes but in reality had barely been seconds before Patel surprised them all and balled up his hand before throwing his fist into the middle of Bella's chest.

"No. Not today. You hear me Bella. You will not die today. Not under me, do you hear me?" he declared wildly as he determinedly started compressions on her chest again. The other doctors who were all considered world class surgeons in their respective fields just stepped back and watched on. The silence in the room deafening. They all seemed out of ideas.

"How many rounds of EPI have you given her?" Dixon asked with hope stepping back up to Bella's side.

"Only three rounds" Tanner answered remembering that the paramedic had said she was given two rounds before her arrival and the chief had ordered another.

"Push another round of EPI then" Dixon said desperately stepping around Tanner before fishing out her small pocket light and flashing it in each of Bella's eyes to check reactivity.

"She's got mild reactivity in her pupils." She announced relieved and hopeful as the beeping on the monitor began to pick up signs of a heartbeat. "Bella? Bella its Casandra" she said as Bella's eyes began to flutter open searching the room wildly trying to take in her surroundings.

"Bella you're at the hospital" Patel said stopping his compressions and leaning into Bella. "You were attacked" he continued grabbing hold of her hand and squeezing it tightly as she began to try and move in a panic. "You're okay now. Your safe here" he said looking her straight in the eye as she stared back at him. The terror and fright evident on her face before she fell back into unconsciousness.

"Alright people. Her temp has stabilized. Let's get her up to an OR and make sure we have no other surprises from these wounds" the Chief said looking from the monitor to the doctors with minimal relief at the momentary triumph. "Somebody page the third floor and tell them we're coming up. I want everything ready and the gallery closed off by the time we get there" he ordered.

Patel stepped back as the other doctors began to prepare Bella for the short trip, only watching as they wheeled Bella past her friends and to the third floor when the reality of everything finally sank in.

He had just spent the better part of half an hour trying to help save the woman he was fairly certain he was falling in love with after she had been attacked in the sanctuary of her own home. Bella Swan had almost died on him. The only person in the world that could possibly truly matter to him and - Patel had almost lost her in the space of thirty minutes.

**Author's Notes II: **So there you have it for chapter 2. Hope it lived up to some people's expectations. Note of warning – not all your questions will be answered straight away. I am also working on two others so I'm hoping to update the story fortnightly and in between the others. So please be patient with me. Thanks again. RxR


	3. 3 I Run To You

**Disclaimer:** This is _fan_fiction_._

**Title: **Black Trauma

**Rating:** Rated 'M' for 'Foul language, mild alcohol use, and sexual implications.'

**Genre:** Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, General, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,

**Warnings:** Adult Content, Discriminatory Language, OOC

**Pairings:** Bella/OC, Bella/ Jacob

**Character/Word Count: **16,346characters/ 2,944 words

**Summary: **Bella Swan is completing her final year as a surgical intern at Washington East Memorial Hospital when tragedy strikes. While dealing with the tragedy Bella becomes torn between two great men who themselves have their own issues to overcome. Enter romance, desire, suspense and above all else determination to overcome even the most out of reach possibilities.

**Author's Notes I: **So I know I said I would post every two weeks but I got a little over excited and decided – what the hell. Massive thanks again to Kym for reading through the jumble that somehow comes from my head and is loosely translated to paper. Sometimes I know it is a feat. Thank you to everyone that has commented/liked/added me. It means so much and encourages me to keep going. So without further adjure here is chapter three. Hope you like

**3\. I Run To You**

Leaning with his back to the nurse's station desk in the ICU and chiseled arms folded across his chest Kobi Patel was having an internal debate with himself. His shift in the pit had finished almost two hours ago and even though all he wanted to do was to go home and rest his exhausted body he had only been able to manage changing from his navy blue scrubs back into his street clothes. He had heard from Nathan Humphries, the Head of Ortho who had been called down into the pit for a consult that Bella was out of surgery and would require a night's stay in the ICU for observations - just as a precaution. He had tried pressing for more information but Patel was determined not to blur the lines between him and Bella but regardless he had hoped that the small amount of information would have been enough to satisfy his overwhelming need to rush to her side and wrap her up in his protective arms so that he could just go home and let the events from the day sink in completely. But something didn't feel right and he just couldn't shake it. He had been on his way out of the hospitals main doors, nearly to his car when an overwhelming sensation to check on Bella had come over him. He had rushed back into the hospital and gone straight for her room.

The sight when he got there stopped him still in his tracks. Nurses were rushing everywhere pulling equipment from all directions as Bella flat lined. Patel barely remembered the Chief buzzing past him and into her room before ordering everyone to stand back as he shocked her. Patel had stood there watching, not able to will his body to move into the room and help as he felt the lines between boss and colleague fade quickly. He cared for this woman. He cared what happened to her and he would find some way to make her see it – if she lived that was. Thankfully Bella's heart rate began to pick up as everyone let out a collective sigh.

That had been almost forty five minutes ago and now he was debating on whether or not he should stay or man up and go into her room. He was scared of losing someone he hadn't had a chance to yet love, scared of opening himself up to someone that if they had any sense of right would shut him down for both of their goods and run for the hills. If Kobi Patel was being honest with himself he was scared of falling in love. He had seen the look in the eyes of way too many men dying in the battlefield calling for their loved ones as they took their last breath. He had fallen witness to the brutal exposed truth that was undying love and it scared him. Those men had been willing to give up everything to protect the ones they held dearest only to have it die with them out in those fields. He swore he would never turn into them – but that had been before he met Bella.

Deciding to forgo everything he pushed off the large octagonal desk and made his way into her room, quickly walking to her bedside and pulling up one if the hospitals uncomfortable chairs. Sitting down he stared at her. Unsure of what he should do next as he wasn't used to such shows of emotion and Bella looked so helpless lying there in her white hospital gown, skin as paler than normal with cords and bandages covering almost every visible part of her body. He felt sick in his stomach. She shouldn't be here. This shouldn't have happened to her. Patel did the only thing that felt natural to him. He grabbed Bella's hand and held it tightly in both of his. He paused for a moment taking one last look at Bella before lowering his head into their conjoined hands and praying. Patel let himself finally give in to all the emotions that had been swelling inside him since the moment Bella had been pulled from that ambulance.

"I know you're stronger than this. So you need to – you need to come back to me, you hear" he said as for the first time that night the tears feel freely down his face. "You need to fight okay! You just need to and come back to where you belong" he continued. An hour passed of him just sitting there listening to the constant beep of her Bella's monitor. Patel could feel his eyes getting weary when he heard a familiar voice from the door.

"How is she doing?" Ainslee Peterson, Head of Plastic surgery asked standing at the door in her scrubs with eyes trained on Bella before turning to Patel. Ever since he had started at Washington East Peterson had been the closest thing he had to a friend. After almost five years of serving with the Army in Sybiria, Baghdad and then finally Afghanistan Patel's transmission back into civilization hadn't exactly been smooth sailing. He had suffered from debilitating PTSD and at the drop of a hat would find himself hallucinating that he was back on the frontline serving his country. He never regretted his time in the armed forces but after one to many close calls he was thankful to have found Ainslee and that she had been willing to be there and help him through it.

Patel shrugged his shoulders. Looking from Ainslee back to Bella he simply said "I don't know" before dropping her hand and running it over his worn face. This was all too much for him. He felt slightly embarrassed and ashamed that in all that time of sitting in her room he hadn't once thought to look at her chart to actually see how she was doing.

Ainslee gave a knowing sigh before walking into the room and picking up Bella's chart that hung from the end of the bed. Opening it up she flicked through the first couple of pages, humming to herself with recognition before finally putting it back in its original position. "He did a real good job on her" she said quietly looking from Bella than back to Patel with a bewildered look on her face as the concern began to seep through her voice. "Have you slept?" she continued.

Patel wasn't certain if she was referring to Chief's job on Bella or the guy that had attacked her. He was about to ask when the frantic voice of a man arguing with one of the night nurses just outside Bella's room came floating in.

"What do you mean you can't tell me? I'm her father" a disheveled middle aged man said in an angry voice.

"Sir, I'm sorry. But please keep your voice down. Visiting hours are over. You will have to come back tomorrow morning" the nurse said back politely trying to calm the situation.

"Visiting hours? I am the god damn police. Chief Swan of Forks P.D and Isabella Swans dad" he answered. A tall tanned Indian man standing behind him placed his hand calmly on the guys shoulder and said something quietly into his ear. The older guy seemed to calm for a minute before looking around and spotting us through the window. His eyes immediately falling on Bella's lifeless form. Waving the nurse off, he came rushing into the room, the calmer of the two only a step behind him.

"Bella. Oh my god – Bella!" he said rushing to her bedside before completely breaking down. "How could this have happened? I should have never let you go" he wept to himself. A minute or so passed before he realized that Patel and Peterson were still in the room. "Who are you?" he said questioning Patel, making the otherwise stoic man uncomfortable.

"Ah – my-my name is Kobi Patel. I'm a Doctor here." Patel answered suddenly unsure of himself as the other guy who was standing stock still behind the other stared him down, trying to get a read on him. "Are you Bella's Dad?" Patel asked ignoring the man's gaze.

"Yes. Charlie Swan. Are you my daughter's doctor?" Charlie asked without emotion his eyes not wavering from Patel's.

"No, no. We're not. We're kind of her bosses but I can get him, the Chief – I mean. He's the one who – his her doctor. I'll just go page him" Ainslee said all of a sudden nervous as she spoke for the first time since the two men had entered the room before rushing from the room.

Patel watched Charlie look Bella over, undoubtedly working his way down her battered body trying to take in all her injuries and piece everything together when he felt Charlie's eyes land on his hands – his hands that were currently holding Bella's fragile one. But as quickly as Patel noticed Charlie seemed to manage to gather control of his emotions. Trying to defuse the situation a little Patel gently placed Bella's hand back down beside her still form, feeling every inch of her father's glare as he did so. Patel was confused. He couldn't remembering doing it but assumed that in the haste of Charlie coming into the room he must have unconsciously picked it up.

"Her boss huh, you sure that's all you are?" Charlie questioned as the other guy moved closer to the bed.

Patel knew he had been caught out but since he hadn't actually had the chance to say anything to Bella, he sure as hell wasn't going to say anything to her distraught father. Thankfully for him Peterson and the Chief chose that moment to show up. Patel took the opportune interruption to excuse himself.

"Chief Swan" Benjamin said in greeting. "I'm Benjamin Rowland. Chief of Surgery, and your daughter's surgeon." He finished addressing Charlie and extending his hand as he watched Patel leave with a curious glare on his face.

"Please – call me Charlie" Charlie said taking Benjamin's outstretched hand deflated "and this is Jacob Black. He ah- was with me when I got your phone call" Benjamin greeted Jacob with a curt nod.

"I'm sorry to be meeting you under these circumstances – Bella is truly one of our most promising residents" Benjamin said matter of factly.

Charlie just nodded his head turning his attention back to his unconscious daughter not really paying much attention to the polite necessities. "Will she" he started chocking slightly before gathering himself "is she going to be okay?" he asked again.

"She's a fighter your Bella" Benjamin started. "She took a hell of a beating. But it appears she fought back. I thought you would like to know that and had her housemate been even five minutes later – I would have probably had to give you a different type of call." He finished sullenly.

"So- you're saying she will be fine" Jacob asked, speaking for the first time looking between Charlie and Benjamin for confirmation.

Benjamin cleared his throat before answering. He didn't like this part. It was never easy giving a patient's family news – it was even harder when you knew the patient personally. "Chief. I'm going to give it to you straight. I think that's the very least I can do in these circumstances" Rowland said waiting for Charlie's understanding and then watching as it dawned over the man subtle appreciation on his worn face. "Bella came in earlier tonight as a reported Jane Doe from a suspected home invasion. She had multiple stab wounds to her body and was suffering from severe hypothermia. It took is a little longer than normal o get her hypothermia under control, but as soon as we got her body temperature back within the normal range we rushed her straight to surgery where I was able to cleanly repair and patch all the stab wounds. We were also able to ascertain that she has a couple of broken ribs and a punctured lung" Benjamin paused, checking both Charlie and Jacob to make sure they were understanding what he was saying before continuing.

"I was able to patch her lunch up but at the moment the only thing breathing for her is that machine" He said pointing to the machine in question "we will keep her on it until she is strong enough for her lungs can withstand breathing on their own. Her ribs will take some time but I see no reason for them not to heal by themselves" This was where it got tough.

"Charlie, she crashed on us twice. Once while she was in the ambulance and then again while she was in surgery. The second time was serious enough that I had our Head of Neuro come in and take a look. He determined from her observations that she possibly had some bleeding on her brain- most likely from multiple hits to the head during the struggle" Benjamin paused again letting that sink in. He wasn't certain how much Charlie knew about the attack, but since he himself didn't know much he couldn't imagine it would be any more than what he did. For any other person this amount of news and the severity would have been a lot to take in, but for a veteran police officer who was used to giving bad news to loved ones in similar situations – this was hell. There was no way of sugar coating any of this for him like he would a normal family. There was no pretending, no optimism – just the cold hard facts and Benjamin didn't like it one bit.

"What aren't you telling me?" Charlie demanded sternly as Benjamin looked between the two men standing before him both of which obviously cared a great deal for Bella. Sighing he answered.

"When Dr. Hurst went in to repair the bleeding he noticed that their seemed to be an odd amount of swelling on her brain. He did everything he could to control it – but we will not know if there is any or the possible extent of the damage until she wakes up. If she wakes up" Benjamin said not able to meet the eyes of the two men as Charlie began to sob uncontrollably. Jacob who had remained silent throughout the exchange moved to Patel's vacant chair and began saying something in his native language that Benjamin couldn't understand.

"The next 24 hours will be crucial" Benjamin said before being interrupted.

"What happens if she doesn't wake" Charlie said through harsh sobs. "She's all I have left –what happens?" he said not able to finish his sentence as he completely fell apart.

"I'm sorry to be the one telling you this but if Bella hasn't woken in 24 hours" Benjamin stopped and gathered himself. This wasn't some unknown patients' family he was talking to. This was Bella Swan's dad and friend. This was a colleagues family. "If Bella hasn't woken within the next twenty four hours, there is an extremely high chance that her injuries are more pronounced than we originally thought and you will have a decision to make"

"Decision – what decision? Charlie? What is he talking about?" Jacob said looking up confused.

"He's saying that if she might be – might be brain dead" Charlie answer quietly barely holding himself together "and if she doesn't wake up in the next twenty four hours. I need to decide whether or not – whether or not to keep her on life support" he finished with full understanding not liking that option any better than Benjamin as he completely broke down crying in his hands.

"What is there to decide? Of course you keep her on" Jacob said angrily to Charlie as if the decision was a no brainer but Charlie wouldn't meet the gaze of anyone in the room. His bloodshot eyes focused only on Bella.

"I have seen to it that out best surgeons are on call for Bella and asked for complete privacy at the moment. I have left you with a lot to think about. Charlie please if you need anything – anything at all. Just let me know and I truly am sorry" Benjamin said solemnly only getting a nod of acknowledgement in return from Charlie before he and Peterson left the room.

"Do you think she will wake?" Petersen asked with her usually sunny disposition sullen. Benjamin and seen a lot in his thirty plus years of practicing and for the first time in all those years he was unsure. For the first time in all those years he had never wanted anything more than to see Bella Swan back on her feet and in surgery.

"I honestly don't know" he answered before walking off in search of his office leaving Ainslee Peterson standing by herself in the middle of the corridor. The next twenty four hours would be the longest he had ever had in his career by a long shot.

**Author's Notes II: **Once again I hope this chapter lived up to people's expectations and you are getting some sense of what is playing through my head. As always I would love to hear what you all think and where you think I might be going with this because let's just say things are going to get (hopefully) a little interesting. Until next time - RxR


	4. Something To Talk About

**Disclaimer:** This is _fan_fiction_._

**Title: **Black Trauma

**Rating:** Rated 'M' for 'Foul language, mild alcohol use, and sexual implications.'

**Genre:** Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, General, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,

**Warnings:** Adult Content, Discriminatory Language, OOC

**Pairings:** Bella/OC, Bella/ Jacob

**Character/Word Count: **18,827characters/ 3,438 words

**Summary: **Bella Swan is completing her final year as a surgical intern at Washington East Memorial Hospital when tragedy strikes. While dealing with the tragedy Bella becomes torn between two great men who themselves have their own issues to overcome. Enter romance, desire, suspense and above all else determination to overcome even the most out of reach possibilities.

**Author's Notes I: **Hey everyone. I actually stuck to my time line and as promised here is the next chapter. I have to once again (and always) thank Kym who has been pre-reading, editing, suggesting and encouraging me while I do this. It's not something that comes completely naturally and there is always self-doubt but the constant encouragement is always appreciated and this is as much my piece of art as it is yours. To everyone who has left a comment/review or added me – I think it goes without saying that I very much appreciate it and hope that you continue to enjoy. x

**4\. Something To Talk About**

Jacob Black pulled the hospital supplied woolen rug further up his shoulders as he tried to reposition himself in the uncomfortable metal chair that was situated next to his childhood friends hospital bed. He still couldn't believe he was here. The last twenty four hours had been a complete blur and the next twenty four didn't appear to be getting any better. As each hour ticked away and Bella showing no sign of improvement, Jacob could feel his hope slipping. He was scared to sleep frightened of what he might see, but his body was protesting He wasn't going to chance anything happening to her now that he was there. Thankfully Charlie had offered to go on a coffee run – the man's sixth since getting the phone call about Bella.

It was only by chance that Jacob had been with Charlie when the phone call came through. He was supposed to be working a double shift at his garage, something he had been doing ever since he opened it four years earlier, but had decided on closing early to help his father set up for the tribal meeting. Black Motors was doing reasonably well for a fairly new garage. Jacob had a reputation of being good with his hands, especially when it came to things like cars and motorbikes and thankfully it was a skill that helped bring the out of towners in. But more often than not Jacob was getting by on half price cash in hand jobs he would do for the members of the tribe. '_Always look after your own_' his father had reiterated into his brain since he could remember. The tribe was their heritage, his responsibility. He was the Chief in waiting and did what was expected of him, when it was expected of him and everything else came second. So when his father, the Chief of the tribe, had insisted on having that months' tribal cookout at his house he hadn't even had a second thought.

The cookout itself was like any other that seemed to be held in abundance in La Push. The elders of the tribe were manning the grill talking loudly amongst themselves as their wives fussed over bread rolls and salads that were to be laid out on the long wooden tables that had been set up in a straight row at the base of the back porch leading from Jacob's simple house into the backyard. A fire pit had been set up in the middle of his yard with a couple of fallen tree trunks spread around for seating. Jacob hadn't wanted to host a cookout at his house, but his father had complained that his little red childhood home just wasn't big enough anymore to hold such functions and that since he was the future Chief he might as well get used to having people at his home all the time.

After the meeting had finished his dad had taken up spot next to his best friend and honorary tribe member Charlie Swan, the Chief of the Forks P.D. Charlie had often taken leniency on some of the tribe members who had managed to find themselves on the wrong side of the law more than once often bringing them back to La Push where they were dealt with by the council. The man was like a second father to Jake.

The Chief only lived for two things much like Jacob – his job and Bella and neither were able to truly escape either. So it had been no surprise when the Chief's phone went off right in the middle of the party. Nobody took notice as the Chief answered it until he started yelling angrily into the phone grabbing the attention of those closest to him.

"What! Is she alive! What happened? Where is she?" Before he slammed his phone shut and started looking for his keys. Charlie wasn't one for drinking but on the occasions that he and Billy Black got together he tended to have more than his fair share. Thankfully Jacob had thought ahead and taken the keys from both his father and Charlie.

"Charlie man. You're in no state to drive" Jacob had said walking over holding the man's car keys up dangling them between his fingers. Charlie saw the objects in Jakes hands and made a lunge for them. "Whoa man. Where's the fire" Jake said chuckling at the drunken look on Charlie's face

"I-I-I need to go. She n-n-needs me" Charlie had slurred, reaching for the keys again but this time drawing the attention of everyone at the party.

"Sit down you fool" Billy had said. "The Deputies can handle whatever it is. You're no good to anyone at the moment" he finished, standing up and reaching for Charlie's shirt clumsily in an attempt to try and pull him back down. But Charlie would have none of it.

"Hurt. Sh-she's been hurt. I-I need to go" He said not really making sense as he lunged for the keys again but Jacob managed to move them away safely before he got them.

"Listen man, I will drive you to wherever you need to go, but you need to sober up first. My Dad was right, you're no good drunk" Jacob said again trying to humor Charlie enough to calm down.

"B-Bella. I need to g-get to B-Bella" Charlie slurred again sitting down clumsily next to Billy, complete despair on his face as he looked at Jacob willing him to understand.

Jacob and Bella's lives had basically ran in parallel to each other. Charlie and his wife Renee had got married a year before Billy and his mother Sarah had married. Jacob's twin sisters – Rebecca and Rachael were born the same year. Bella had been born the following before Jake a couple of months after The Blacks and Swans had grown up with each other. Sunday dinners were spent alternating between the two families houses with football games always being an excuse for their fathers to get together and drink beer while their mothers would catch up on all he gossip while helping each other make dinner. During this time Jacob had become close to Bella who had never taken much of a liking to his sisters. The two becoming inseparable immediately.

When they were ten Bella's mother had passed away in a plane crash while heading on vacation to visit her parents in Maryland. Jacob's mother had passed away two years later in a car crash. The two relatively young teenagers had then be left to be raised by their grieving fathers with Jacob and Bella relying solely on each other during those years. All they had left in the world was each other.

It had taken Jacob an hour and a half and three cups of coffee later to sober Charlie up enough to get him to make any sense. Once he knew the basics – Bella. Attacked. In hospital – he and Charlie had jumped into Jacob's vintage impala and driven all night, not really know much or what to expect when they got there but breaking every road rule to do it. They had only stopped twice – both times to get Charlie a refill of coffee and so that Jacob could stretch his legs.

Charlie had remained quiet the entire trip only starting to show any real signs of life when they passed the border of the cities limits and his legs became jittery. Upon arriving at the hospital Charlie had all but bolted from the car trying to get to Bella as fast as possible. It had taken everything in him not to follow. Jacob had been shocked and confused the moment he stepped foot into her room and seen her lying there motionless. Long gone was his vibrant, funny and energetic friend. Instead she had been replaced by the pale, bandaged, lifeless body in front of him. Jacob had imagined his life turning out one of a thousand ways each more different than the last but every single one had Bella in the starring role.

Growing up Jacob had only seen Bella as a friend something that changed drastically once he turned sixteen and things began to become more obvious. He no longer saw Bella in a dull light instead small things that had once gone unnoticed by him now stood out like a sore thumb. He could no longer ignore the way her knee would bounce uncontrollably when she got nervous or the way her top lip would twitch and curl slightly when she got excited. But most of all he couldn't ignore the way she smelled of strawberries and coconut after taking a shower an odd mix he always thought or sea salt mixed with sand from spending all day at the beach with him and he found it beyond impossible to ignore the smell of old books and stale coffee from an all-nighter at the library for some school project. All of a sudden everything had became a catalyst for Jacob but not once did he ever act on the overwhelming impulses he was now having even though he couldn't stop himself from imagining what it would feel like a thousand different ways.

He had always stayed in the friend's zone too scared of tainting the relationship they had. The way Jacob saw it he was better of having loved her only as a friend than to have loved her as more and loose her for the rest of his life. She was the only thing that had got him through his mother's death and his sister's abandonment of him and his father not long after. She had even been supportive when he and his father had struggled at Rachel's return acting as if nothing had happened. Bella could always read him at the drop of a hat and for some unknown reason was the only person in the word able to make him smile just as quickly.

"Bloody hospital coffee tastes like sewage" Charlie said interrupting Jacob's thoughts as he walked back into Bella's room a cup of take away coffee in each hand.

"Thanks" Jacob said accepting the coffee in Charlie's outstretched hand before taking a sip and grimacing to himself.

"How is she doing?" Charlie asked tired as he reclaimed his seat and set up vigil once again at Bella's bedside.

"No change since you left" Jacob answered sadly looking at Bella. Without looking he could tell that Charlie was just as deflated by the fact that the news wasn't any better. "I called Dad while you were gone too. Filled him in on what we know. He told me to tell you not to worry about anything and if we need anything to call him" he finished as if the two men were merely having a casual chat over a Sunday dinner.

Charlie nodded absent mindedly knowing that his oldest friend who thought of Bella like one his own would be holding down everything for him in his absence and all he needed to focus on was his little girl. "We should try and get some sleep." Charlie finally said looking around trying to figure out the most realistic and comfortable option they had at a make shift bed. "Tonight's going to be a long night and there's no need in both of us being exhausted when she wakes" he finished falsely optimistic as he pulled two chairs together to form a make shift bed. "You try and get some rest. I'll wake you in a couple of hours" he said getting all fatherly on Jake.

Charlie watched as Jacob nodded his head in understanding and made his way over to Charlie's makeshift bed, lying down and repositioning his large form in the small chairs in the chance of getting some rest. The repetitive beep for Bella's heart monitor lulling him into a dreamless sleep.

Charlie woke with a start when he felt something push slightly against his arm causing him to automatically jump into protect mode. His eyes scanning over the sleeping form of Jacob before landing on his daughter; a doctor hovering over her checking Bella's vitals.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you" the man said as he put his flashlight back in his white lab coat pocket and began writing something down on her cart. "I won't be much longer" he said walking from beside Charlie to the other side of the bed and changing something on one of the monitors. "Are you Bella's dad?" the doctor questioned looking over the chart at Charlie then to the sleeping form of Jacob.

"Ah yes- yes sorry. Charlie Swan" Charlie answered running his hands down his drowsy face in a tired manner before standing up and walking around to stretch his legs slightly.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Swan. I'm Flynn Hurst" the doctor said introducing himself with an outstretched arm.

"Chief Rowlands said you operated on my Bella. Is everything okay?" Charlie asked raising is voice slightly and waking Jacob.

"What- what is it? Did something happen? Is Bella okay?" Jacob said confused jumping from the chairs as he took in Charlie and the doctor as he hurriedly wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"Everything is fine. Please calm down. I was just checking in on Bella." Dr. Hurst said reassuringly.

"She's okay?" Jacob said calming quickly.

"Right now?. She is sable. Which given what she has been through – is good" Dr. Hurst said in answer looking over the two men. "You know that if you had of asked, the hospital would have provided you with a cot to sleep in so that you wouldn't have had to sleep in – that" He continued looking over the two chairs. "I would highly recommend getting out of the hospital. It's still going to be a while and I'm sure we can call you if she wakes. Maybe go to a hotel. Getting some proper sleep or real food. Possibly showering." he finished.

Jacob and Charlie took the chance to look down at themselves taking in their creased day old clothes they both relented. Dr. Hurst was right. They needed to be taking proper care of themselves for when Bella woke.

"Before we go – do you mind showing me where I could find ah- Adam King? He lives with Bella and I think he works here?" Charlie asked.

"Of course Dr. King. He was the one who brought Bella in. I will get the nurses to page him for you" Dr. Hurst said politely before excusing himself from the room, stopping briefly at the Nurses station desk before disappearing

Adam King had spent the better part of three hours after finding Bella waiting to be questioned by the Police who were still combing through the crime scene and his house. When they had finally arrived Adam had been ushered straight into an examination room and ordered to strip by a burly overweight balding officer. Adam hadn't noticed up until that point just how much blood his clothes had absorbed so he complied quickly handing over his shirt, jacket, pants and shoes changing into a spare set of scrubs.

He had then endured an hour of, in his mind, ridiculous questions from two detectives that looked like they had just stepped out of a TV show wearing long cream trench coats and smelling of coffee starting with the mundane and basic 'How long have you know the victim?' and 'what is your relationship?' to the complete out there and insulting 'is she involved in anything illegal such as drugs?' 'Can you think of anyone that would hold a grudge or want to harm Bella?' before finally asking the useful questions such as 'What happened when you got home tonight?', 'Where were you between six and nine tonight?' "Have you noticed anything strange or unusual around the house lately?' And finally 'Is there any other way into the house? A spare key, basement door. Broken window?"

Adam had answered the questions as honestly as he could, his mind automatically trying to analyze every moment he could remember having had spent with or without Bella in the last few week but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. They would often drive to work together, do their shifts and go home. On the odd day, like today, when they had gone to work in separate cars whoever arrived home before the other would usually cook up a meal to share with the other. It was an unspoken ritual the two had started ever since they moved in together.

The detectives had jotted his answers down in their little notepads before letting him leave with an almost scripted 'Don't leave town. We may have more questions for you'. From that point on Adam hadn't really known what to do with himself. The crime scene techs were still at his house analyzing the scene and from what he could gather he couldn't go home, even if he had wanted to, until they were done which was possibly going to be another couple of hours. Bella had been in and out of surgery and was now in recovery no doubt being inundated with visitors even if she didn't know it; so he wasn't needed there and he was not able to be checking in on patients as he had reached his mandatory seventy two hour shift limit and was not allowed under hospital policy to be practicing medicine, not that he thought he could at this moment anyway.

So he had instead found himself lying down in one of the vacant on-call rooms trying mirthlessly to get some sleep. He had woken only moments before from the incessant beep of his pager going off. Sluggishly getting to his feet he had read that it was 911 for Bella's room causing him to throw caution to the wind and bolt at almost lightning speed to where he was being called.

As he reached his destination Adam became confused. There was no rush of people trying to scramble into the room, shoving equipment and yelling orders from each direction like they would if a patient was coding. Instead he was met with the docile beep of her steadying heartbeat and two expectant faces.

"Adam King?" the elder of the two had asked. Adam looked from the man to the younger of the two, both who were standing to greet him in a calm manner before nodding his head as if he was slow. "I'm Charlie. Charlie Swan – Bella's dad" the man continued.

"Mr Swan. Of course. I'm sorry" Adam replied.

"Please, call me Charlie and this is Jacob – a friend of Bella's" Charlie had said inviting Adam further into the room as he and Jacob both sat down. "Dr. Hurst said that you were the one who found her" Charlie had started but was cut off.

"Yes. I'm so sorry. I should have been there with her but I had stayed behind to catch up on some paperwork. If I had of been there this would have never happened" Adam said guilt riddled.

"That's nonsense. There is no way you could have known this was going to happen?" Charlie said trying to comfort the man as he turned his attention back to his daughter.

"You wouldn't mind letting those idiotic detectives know that then, would you?" Adam had said under his breath without thought causing Charlie to raise an eyebrow at the information.

"The detectives have already questioned you?" he asked.

"About four hours ago and I somehow get the feeling that they think I have something to do with it" Adam answered with disgust.

"I doubt it son. They were probably just asking routine questions" Charlie replied. Adam shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly still not convinced. "Regardless, I just wanted to thank you son. I've been told that without you – she wouldn't have made it" Charlie finished with complete gratitude.

"You don't need to thank me sir, I know that if the roles were reversed – Bells would have done the same." Adam replied with complete honesty. "You're both welcome to stay at the house that is when we can get back in, for as long as you need" Adam offered. Charlie nodded his head accepting the offer.

"I don't think I will be leaving anytime soon son. But thank you"

Adam stood to leave, deciding that the two men deserved sometime alone with Bella. As he was making his way out the door he as suddenly stopped by Charlie's voice. "Before you go son, just one question. What can you tell me about Kobi Patel?"

**Author's Notes II: **So that's I for another chapter. Hopefully you've all enjoyed this chapter and who knows I might get antsy and post another soon. On a completely separate note for everyone who has asked about my other stories – I have not forgot them and am still writing them, I'm actually working on the final chapters of '_From Rags To Riches_' at the moment and have plans for my other story soon. So please just bear with me and as always let me know what you're thinking


	5. 5 If Tomorrow Never Comes

**Disclaimer:** This is _fan_fiction_._

**Title: **Black Trauma

**Rating:** Rated 'M' for 'Foul language, mild alcohol use, and sexual implications.'

**Genre:** Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, General, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,

**Warnings:** Adult Content, Discriminatory Language, OOC

**Pairings:** Bella/OC, Bella/ Jacob

**Character/Word Count: **20,975characters/ 3,760 words

**Summary: **Bella Swan is completing her final year as a surgical intern at Washington East Memorial Hospital when tragedy strikes. While dealing with the tragedy Bella becomes torn between two great men who themselves have their own issues to overcome. Enter romance, desire, suspense and above all else determination to overcome even the most out of reach possibilities.

**Author's Notes I: **Hi everyone. Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews and it goes without saying Kym for pre-reading my mindless drabble! Very much appreciated. Anyway I won't keep you all in suspense so here is the next chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

**5\. If Tomorrow Never Comes**

* * *

Charlie stretched his sore and stiff limbs for the hundredth time that morning. It had just gone past noon and there was still no signs of improvement from Bella. Jacob had left twenty minutes earlier on a hunt for any fast food restaurant in the near vicinity to get the two of them some decent food after declaring that the hospital food tasted worse than the one and only time his Dad has attempted to cook them lasagna and burn it from complete recognition, almost taking the Black's small kitchen with it. Something neither men had let Billy live down.

Since then only a handful of nurses had come and gone each checking on Bella's vitals with a mask of fake optimism on their face, no doubt for Charlie's benefit before turning somber at the door. Charlie was trying his best to ignore them as he knew his daughter was a fighter something she had been all her life. It was what Charlie credited as being the reason behind her being so successful in her career. She was ambitious beyond recognition and driven like no one he had ever seen before but most of all she was disciplined. She knew that things never came to those who waited so she had worked her arse off to get into college and then med school before taking on her internship all the while working a part time job at a nursing home and looking after Charlie and the Black's like it was second nature. In the back of his mind Charlie had no doubt that his little 'Bluebelle" would pull through this and make it out even stronger but that didn't stop the fleeting moments of doubt from coming.

He needed to get out of the room, he needed a break from the fake smiles and empty promises of false reassurances that came with the sadness and despair on everyone's face. He just needed a moment to himself. Taking one last glance at Bella he stood up and made his way out into the noisy chaotic hustle of the hospital hallways. People were rushing to and from various rooms, nurses frantically trying to write down orders on whatever they could as doctors rambled them off at a swift pace, while others were trying to console the loved ones of patients recently departed. Charlie just walked, not really knowing or caring where he went and before he knew it, without actually realizing, he had made his way to the entrance of the hospital.

Stepping out from the cover of the entrance into the blistering sun he scanned the immediate area watching as people came and went from the hospital. He noticed an oddly familiar face sitting alone under the protection of shade from a big oak tree his face to the sky and eyes closed just enjoying the summer breeze, a takeaway coffee in his hand. Charlie watched for a few seconds before inviting himself without hesitation to join. The man didn't seem to notice when Charlie sat down at the other end of the bench, seemingly enjoying whatever reality he had drifted off to as Charlie waited in awkward silence.

"Nice day out" Charlie finally said startling the man from his trance and forcing him to take in Charlie's appearance. The day itself was uncharacteristically sunny for Washington, a complete contradiction to the day before with the sun burning brightly complimented by the drying puddles from the night's storm and a cool fresh sea breeze. Given any other circumstance it would have been the perfect type of day to go fishing.

"Sir" the other man said acknowledging Charlie's presence with surprise and slight awkwardness.

"Dr. Patel Right? Please – call me Charlie" he replied with an outstretched hand as he watched a young nurse push an elderly patient past them in a wheelchair, obviously trying to allow them as much exposure to the summer weather as possible.

"Kobi" came the man's quick reply correcting Charlie as he took his hand and shook it quickly.

"From last night. I remember" Charlie answered in agreeance.

"How is she doing?" Kobi asked curiosity dripping from his voice as he avoided all eye contact with Charlie, the overwhelming fear of blurring the lines once again reoccurring.

Charlie leaned forward resting his arms on his thighs as he clasped his hands together. The saying "if I had a nickel –" flashed in his mind at the amount of times he had been asked the generic question in the last twenty four hours. "There's been no change" Charlie answered robotically and emotionless. "There was some concern about her brain. They said the swelling was pretty bad and that they are monitoring her. Just hav-"

"Have to wait it out" Kobi finished in unison having given the same mantra many times himself to patient families, as he felt himself relaxing slightly with the older man.

"Listen I'm going to be blunt, because everyone seems to be walking on glass around me or avoiding me directly and I'm tired of it. I want to know what happened to my baby, so blame it on the cop in me but what's going on between you and my daughter?" he asked frankly.

Kobi choked on his coffee slightly taken aback by the question but expecting it none the less since Charlie had caught him in Bella's room last night. Truth be told he had asked himself that very question multiple times, each time coming to the conclusion that he was quickly crossing that line between boss and colleague to possible lover and heading into dangerous but tempting grounds. "We just work together" he answered mechanically almost as if saying it out loud to her father would falsify what he was really feeling inside.

"You don't think I really believe that now do you?" Charlie shot back quickly with honest disbelief as he turned to face the man as Kobi became uncertain on how to react to that.

"I don't know what you mean" Kobi answered unconvincingly as he took another sip from his cold coffee.

"Are we really going to do this?" Charlie retorted. "Look I know I've had a long night and am probably definitely more than a little sleep deprived but I also know what I saw in that room last night" Charlie finished sternly, his police training picking up that his accusation was making the other man uncomfortable.

"Sir, I'm sorry – Charlie." Kobi started but stopped trying to get his thoughts in order so that they made sense when he spoke them. "I am one of Bella's many bosses. It is strictly against hospital regulation that anyone of authority abuse that position to be in a relationship with a colleague" he continued. "I promise you we just work together – nothing else" he finished almost defensively.

"Fine –" Charlie retorted with fake admission "the two of you just work together" he stated "But you want more." Kobi mimicked Charlie's stance, bending forward and leaning on his thighs as he prepared himself to debate the accusation when he surprised Charlie by laughing. The older man just watching as Kobi looked down at his sneaker covered feet as a deep manly chuckle escaped him and laughed at the irony of the situation. Pulling himself together Kobi took a deep breath before explaining.

"Do you know how absurd it is that I acknowledge my feelings for Bella to _you_ before even she knows?" he answered with a hint of amusement and slight relief.

"She doesn't know?" Charlie questioned as Kobi shook his head in answer.

"I am her trainer, boss, and mentor. I am responsible for turning her into a surgeon and entrusted to make sure she is the best she can be. I would never jeopardize that for her." Kobi stated with complete earnest. "She could be a great surgeon. Hell she is _going _to be a great surgeon, so why would I risk all that on me – a retired army brat who is basically married to the job and wouldn't know how to be in a proper relationship if it hit me square in the face?" he finished.

"Your army?" Charlie asked with utter surprise at the man's declaration.

"Yeah. My dad was stationed up in Colorado for most of his career before moving to the Yakima base here in Washington when I was in my teens. The military is basically all I have ever known." He replied matter-of-factly.

"You enlisted?" Charlie continued clearly intrigued.

"Straight out of med school." Kobi answered quickly "did two tours of Afghanistan before I was offered the job here" he finished with a distant look of a lost memory from a lifetime ago playing on his face.

Charlie took stock of what was being said, but his mind filtered back to his daughter and how she was with others. Charlie had never thought about it before but couldn't help and compare the similarities between the two doctors. How his daughter had given her life to help those around them, just like Kobi in the war or how she always put others before herself sometimes to a disadvantage, like Kobi was doing for her. Then it dawned on him - because of all that she was constantly putting her life on hold. Holding herself back – not professionally but personally. He knew that Bella had only dated casually a few times since moving to the big city but always found some reason to pull back citing that she was either too busy at work and didn't need the distraction, or that they just didn't quite fit in with her life – something Kobi had also just admitted to.

The sound of beeping snapped Charlie out of his thoughts forcing him to look around for the source of the intruding noise when Kobi stood pulling his pager from the elastic of his scrub pants and flipped it over, reading what it said before replacing it back in its original spot.

"I ah- have to go. There is a trauma coming in and they- ah need me" He stated once again sounding unsure of himself. Charlie nodded his head in understanding, familiar with the interruptions associated with a high demanding job, shooing him off with the wave of a hand and watching as the tall man began making the short journey back into the hospital.

"Kobi." Charlie shouted forcing the tall man to stop and give him his entire attention. "Take it from a man who is also married to the job – don't give up okay. She can be stubborn and a little painful, but if you let her she will be worth it" He offered. Kobi stared at him for a minute graciously accepting the advice with a curt nod and a smile before hurrying back into the hospital.

* * *

Charlie had spent another twenty minutes outside under the tree when Jacob returned – a large white take away bag in tow. A short conversation of pleasantries and ten minutes later, the two men had engulfed their burgers and soda while sitting peacefully in the sun before making their way back to Bella's room where they had been for the last hour watching dutifully over her – with no change.

A knock on her room door drew their attention to two men in their thirties wearing long trench coats and serious looks on their faces. "I'm sorry to interrupt but are you Chief Swan" the elder of the two asked.

Jacob and Charlie shared a look between themselves before Charlie stood and greeted the men. "Who are you?" He asked in his best police no-nonsense tone.

"I am Detective Dan Ivirson and this is my partner Detective Breen Monroe. We have been assigned to your daughter's case" The detective replied unaffected.

Charlie stood placing his arms across his chest as he took the two men in. The first of the two – Dan, was a small man by today's standards but looked as if he spent time in the gym to compensate, or in Charlie's opinion overcompensate, for it. His short thick blonde hair was tousled in a way that it looked like it hadn't been brushed in a couple of days while his face showed the early signs of prickly stubble. His partner however seemed to be the polar opposite. Tall and reasonably built, mostly all natural with jet black shoulder length hair that was slicked back behind the ears. His face cleanly shaven and look emotionless but friendly. Not something Charlie would normally associate with a Japanese man.

"We have just spoken with the Chief and would like to ask you some questions – it should only take a few minutes" Detective Monroe asked, waiting for Charlie's permission to enter the room before doing so and walking to the foot of Bella's bed so that they could address both men. It was the first time the detectives had seen Bella's lifeless form since the attack before returning their attention to the two men.

"Chief do you know or can you think of anyone who would have any reason to hurt your daughter?" Detective Ivirson started.

"No. Bella isn't one for trouble. She doesn't have the time" Charlie replied.

"And how often do you speak with your daughter?" Iverson continued.

"Ah- almost every second night. She likes to check up on me. Make sure I'm looking after myself – that type of stuff" Charlie replied once again.

"What about you?" Monroe said bluntly looking at Jacob.

"Two or three times a week. She's normally kept pretty busy here at work" Jacob replied unaffected by the Detectives accusing tone. "We just catch each other when we can."

"What is your relationship to Ms. Swan?" the Detective continued.

"Friends. We are – ah best friends" Jacob replied looking at Bella's withdrawn face.

"So either of you would notice if something had changed in the way she was behaving?" Ivirson said.

"Yes" Charlie and Jacob said in unison. "But she acted normal when we last spoke" Charlie finished Jacob nodding in confirmation too.

"Would she have told you if she was having difficulties in her life" Ivirson asked noting when Jacob shook his head and Charlie nodded.

"Was she" Monroe asked adding onto the obvious question.

"Difficulties like what?" Charlie shot back clearly unhappy with where the detective's line of questioning was going.

"Did she have money problems, like to drink, into drugs, hang with the wrong people. Anything like that?" Detective Ivirson explained not noticing the change in Charlie's demeanor.

"You're not serious right?" Charlie asked standing from his seat and stepping into the detective's personal space. "Look at my daughter" he said pointing at her lifeless form. "Does she look like the type of person that would be mixed up in any of that stuff" Charlie said with venom in the detective's face as Jacob stood to get between them.

"I'm sorry Chief. But like us, I'm sure you have seen your fair share of victims who look innocent just like your daughter but have skeletons up to the nine hidden in their closet." Monroe said trying to calm the situation some. Charlie knew what the Detectives was saying to be true but he still couldn't help taking offense that someone would think of his "Bluebelle" like that.

Jacob managed to get himself between the Detective's and forcing Charlie to take a step back. "I don't like the questions any more than you do, but they are just trying to find who did this" Jacob said calmly as he watched Charlie's blood rate drop from his face the Detective's waiting a moment before continuing their questions.

"Chief. Did she have a problem with alcohol or drugs? Money?" the Detectives tried again.

Charlie paced himself before answering "No. She didn't owe anyone money and has never had a problem with alcohol or drugs."

"Has she mention anyone new in her life? A friend, boyfriend, or co-worker perhaps? Anyone that made her feel uncomfortable?"

"No. Nothing that I know of" Charlie answered looking at Jacob as if asking him the same question.

"She would have told me if there was someone." Jacob answered returning Charlie's glare with conviction.

The detectives took a moment to write something's down in their notepads before Charlie asked. "Do you guys know what happened yet? Were you able to get anything from her house?"

"The CSU finished there earlier this morning and released the scene. We haven't been able to go over or review anything that may have been collected yet but in all honesty sir, I think the only person that can tell us what truly happened last night is your daughter." Monroe answered. Charlie just nodded still agitated but knowing full well what it felt like in the early stages of an investigation.

"Anyway thank you for your time. We will be in contact if and when we know anything" Ivirson said as the two men exited the room. Charlie waited a second until he was certain the men were out of ear shot before turning to Jacob.

"Son hand me your keys" Charlie asked watching as Jacob put his hand in his pocket and started digging for his keys a confused look on his face. "I want to have a look at the crime scene before they have a chance to clean it" Charlie said, answering Jacobs unaired questioned as he took the keys from his outstretched hands. "You call me if anything changes - alright" Charlie said getting into cop mode as he began making his way out of the room. Jacob gave a quick 'yes, sir' mock salute before settling in against Bella's bedside to once again watch and wait.

* * *

Charlie pulled Jacob's Impala to a stop outside the front of Bella's house, the need to steady himself overwhelming him as he put the car in park. He knew he shouldn't have been here but he wanted answers and so far no one had been able to answer them leaving Charlie with no choice but to find them himself.

Stepping out of the car and locking it behind him Charlie looked up at the stone steps heading up the hill to the two story house that was meant to be Bella's safe haven. The only place in the entire world where she was supposed to be able to go and feel completely protected and what good did that do her. In his mind Charlie could remember the day Bella had moved in. He had insisted on saving money by having the two of them move the furniture in themselves. Bella hadn't been quite as convinced insisting that a removal service would be far easier and save them in the long run. Charlie had won out in the end and the two started moving some of the larger items into the house. They were in the middle of moving her dresser in when Charlie heard the faint click in his lower back followed by the burning pain of what he could only imagine to be a thousand flaming hot needles. Bella has instantly dropped the item and led him inside helping him to the couch, thankfully bought in earlier, before getting him a heat pack. Once certain that he was settled Bella grabbed her phone, ordered them a pizza before calling the removalists – all the while chuckling to herself.

Charlie took note of anything that seemed out of place as he began making his way up the steps to the front door. The detectives had earlier said that the CSU or Crime Scene Unit had been and gone taking anything that seemed of importance. But Charlie knew from experience that even the most seasoned CSU officer always left something behind. Just like he knew that there was no clean-up crew who would come and deal with what was left behind. If above all else, Charlie vowed to make sure that this place was once again safe for his daughter.

Approaching the large oak door he removed a piece of fallen yellow crime scene tape that had been stuck to the door discarding it to the side as he pushed it open into the large foyer. Walking into the house and making his way towards the kitchen Charlie couldn't help but notice how the hustle and bustle of the outside world seemed to end at the door forcing the normally emotionless man to try and remember happier times spent with Bella instead of the eerie silence that greeted him with each room. He passed the lounge and study easily making a mental note that they seemed relatively untouched before entering the kitchen where he noted Bella's keys and handbag – also seemingly untouched – lying on the counter where Bella had absent mindedly thrown them once she had got home. A stack of mail next to them. Surveying the room he noted that a packet of unopened pasta shells sat on the sink next to a bowl containing an un-tossed salad, serving spoon lying haphazardly beside it as if Bella had been distracted by something and dropped it. Looking at the stove he noted a pot of sauce remnants of which stuck to the surface from boiling over – most likely only being turned off once his daughter had been found.

Charlie felt himself getting enraged at the thought of Bella innocently making dinner only a few feet from where he stood before she was attacked. A sudden will to punch anything burned deep inside him. He had never felt so helpless, and this was from a man who prided himself on making sure that those he served felt safe and protected under his watch. Something he had absent mindedly let lapse with the only important person in his life. Taking deep breaths Charlie tried to brace himself as he faced the one room he knew he needed to see, to find some way to revert back into his cop mode so that he could start to try and make it up to Bella but he knew that what lied beyond that door would be his worst nightmares all rolled into one.

Gathering himself enough he walked forward to the slightly ajar door taking note of the white print powder on the door handle as he cautiously pushed it open, wanting to try and reserve as much of the room in the way he left it so that he could try and get some idea of the attacker, but the moment Charlie got a glimpse of what lied beyond that door it took all of his strength not to completely lose it.

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**Author's Notes II: **Well there you have it for another fortnight. Hopefully this chapter has kept everyone on the edge of their seat and intrigued with where I'm going with this. As always I would love to hear what you all think. RxR &amp; until next time. Kiki


	6. 6 Always On My Mind

**Disclaimer:** This is _fan_fiction_._

**Title: **Black Trauma

**Rating:** Rated 'M' for 'Foul language, mild alcohol use, and sexual implications.'

**Genre:** Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, General, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,

**Warnings:** Adult Content, Discriminatory Language, OOC

**Pairings:** Bella/OC, Bella/ Jacob

**Character/Word Count: **18,746characters/ 3,377 words

**Summary: **Bella Swan is completing her final year as a surgical intern at Washington East Memorial Hospital when tragedy strikes. While dealing with the tragedy Bella becomes torn between two great men who themselves have their own issues to overcome. Enter romance, desire, suspense and above all else determination to overcome even the most out of reach possibilities.

**Author's Notes I: **Sorry for the cliffhanger last time but hopefully this chapter will live up to your standards. As always thanks to Kym for reading this over for me and not think what floating in my head is too insane or crazy. I also have to thank everyone that has reviewed/favourited/added the story. Your support is amazing! Anyway enough yapping and here is the next chapter.

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**6\. Always on My Mind**

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Charlie stood motionless inside the doorway of the laundry room - the sight before him making the veteran cop sick to his stomach. Despite the crime scene techs having been and gone, the room looked as if a mini earth quake had gone off in the reasonably sized area alone and had he not known any better Charlie would have guessed that the room had been ransacked by some petty thief looking for a quick score of cash. Trying to force himself out of protective father mode and into Chief police mode Charlie gathered his senses and walked further into the dark cold room his eyes searching and scrutinizing everything that was out of place in hope that even the smallest of clues would jump out at him.

He walked around the open area being careful as he stepped over broken items that had been thrown about in his daughter's struggle as he tried to piece together in his mind what actually happened to Bella the night before. Charlie has always been able to predict what his daughter was thinking, she had after all been all about structure if nothing else. So it was easy for him too imagine her coming home from a long day at work, heading straight for the kitchen as she kicked her shoes of one by one and left them lying randomly in the hallway as she casually flicked through the days collected mail before discarding it along with her bag and keys onto the counter. He knew from there that she would have most likely headed for the fridge and pantry pulling out the various items needed to make that night's dinner before lighting the stove and placing a pot full of water on top to boil. Charlie's instincts began telling him that this was probably where Bella's nightmare would have truly begun.

The laundry was unconventional for a house of this magnitude with its polished concrete floor, full length storage compartments to the right as soon as you walked in the room and enough floor space to house a small rave. It was a modern day room in an old day house and for that reason alone it had been the initial attraction for Bella when she had started looking for a house in the city – claiming that you could always tell an exceptional house from a good house given the size and overall feel of the laundry. Charlie had thought that to be complete nonsense but agreed with her none the less. Even for an old bachelor he could see her reasoning. The back wall shelved the large washer, dryer and sink with the counter built in around. In the middle of the room was a large wooden sorting table which was meant to be used to sort and fold the clean laundry but Charlie had no doubt despite the state of the room would have been used instead to shelve the clean laundry in a heap until Bella or Adam had the time to properly sort it between their long shifts while the remaining wall was mostly bare with a few hooks and hangers for brooms, mops and other cleaning items as a retractable cloths line hung nearest to the door for those extremely wet days. In Charlie's now judgemental eyes the room was basically a welcome invitation, with big neon flashing lights for an intruder.

Looking back with that in mind he turned from his spot a few meters in the door so that he was now facing the kitchen when realization hit Charlie – he had a perfect eye line of where Bella would have been standing at the stove top. Taking a step back further into the room he also realized that that from this vantage point he also still had a clear path straight to the back door had he needed it, all the while remaining hidden in the darkness. A stray tear slid down Charlie's face while his stomach began doing sickening somersaults as he came to the realization that whoever attacked Bella had probably been standing in wait and watching her from the moment she had arrived home. Wiping the lone tear from his face he reluctantly put himself into the assailant's shoes, his mind more determined than ever to try and find out what happened the previous night.

Charlie tried to relax himself by taking deep breaths and closing his eyes. He imagined himself as the attacker coming through the back door prior to Bella returning home. Opening his eyes he walked to the back door checking over the crime scene printed handle, examining it with critical eyes before quickly opening it and doing the same to the outside handle. Turning from his spot he shut the door and made his way back into the room. If Charlie was correct – which given what he had seen so far he thought he was – the attack was pre-meditated. Which meant that whoever had attacked his daughter would have most likely been a part of her life at some point prior to the attack and had probably been following her for days to learn her routine. Charlie's gut instincts telling him that the attacker would have had to have known when she would be home. Charlie dwelled on that for a moment before realizing that the only way he could follow that line of thought was by speaking with Bella – when she woke. But something still didn't feel right. Not that anything actually did at this point but something was bugging him. In his mind Charlie couldn't think of why Bella would have gone to the laundry at that time of night. She always did her laundry on the weekend and there was nothing else in here that would have needed her attention that urgently. Unless for some unknown reason her attention had been drawn to the room.

Charlie figured that if that was the case her attacker would've had to have found some sort of cover that would have hidden him from view when Bella entered. Putting himself back into the assailant's shoes he scanned the room Charlie figured the sorting table would have been the most obvious choice with its size and contents, trying to figure out what the most accessible and convenient cover would have been. Moving around the room trying to keep the two prominent vantage points in mind Charlie tried to hide himself from every possible location he could think of before finding himself standing behind the folding bench that normally stopped in the middle of the room. Charlie crouched down behind it as if he was a tiger about to pounce on its prey, his body trying to get a feel for what the attacker would have thought and felt in that moment. Charlie could feel his adrenaline rising as he imagined watching Bella enter the room unaware as she searched for the unknown distraction before the attacker jumped out at her. But there was one problem. The table had obviously shifted during the struggle which would have meant that if the table was in its original location it wouldn't have been able to provide any cover what so ever.

Moving from behind the table Charlie began to re-access the room. His mind trying to imagine the attack his daughter went through. He pictured the attacker jumping Bella from behind, pushing her into the bench and winding her. Bella was no sucker so Charlie had no doubt that she would have fought back once she had her bearings. The broken ironing board that laid askew against the far wall amongst a pile of clothes indicated that Bella had most likely reached for anything to use as protection. Her hands probably coming into contact with a basket of washing that looked to have been thrown only stunning the attacker momentarily before he came at her and forced Bella down against the iron board snapping it in half. Charlie imagine the attacker jumping on Bella and hitting her over and over probably until Bella was able to get the upper hand and try to make an escape. The room indicating that at some point Bella was able to rise and get out of the room when she was probably pulled back in by the hair.

He tried not to picture the pain his daughter went through as she wailed her arms about while trying to get hold of anything to stop the attacker's momentum. Washing powder had been scattered throughout the room – almost as if it had been thrown in the air to sprinkle over everything when he noticed something odd over by the sink. Walking over Charlie picked up the item – a single yellow sunflower and a blue hydrangea held together with a small black ribbon and tied dainty bow.

At first glance the flowers would have looked innocent enough to just be simple home decoration, nothing of real importance and easily over looked by the police as something that had been knocked over in the struggle. But Charlie knew better. Bella never brought flowers. She didn't like them and saw no point in having them around. Sure she thought they were a sweet gesture for a day or two but then they'd die and she would be left with a mess to clean up and another reminder of death. Charlie was almost positively certain that the flowers had been left by the attacker.

Charlie stood figuring that he had seen about as much as he could and began to make his way out of the room with the flowers. He stopped mid-way noticing the pool of dried blood that lay in the middle of the room where his daughter had been left to die. Bending down on one knee Charlie skimmed his fingers of the dried liquid, guilt rising from his stomach at not being there to protect his daughter as he let the tears that had been threatening to spill, since he arrived, out. Giving himself the moment to grieve Charlie rose and walked back over to the sink. Turning on the faucet and waiting until the water was hot he reached under the cupboard and pulled out a small bucket and sponge. Filling it with water and detergent he shut the water off and walking back over to the dried blood. Getting down on bended knee once again Charlie took the sponge from the soapy water and began scrubbing away the blood.

Half an hour later and three trash bags full of broken items Charlie's phone began going off. Wiping away the sweat and tears that seemed to have not stopped he quickly reached down and pulled his phone from his pants pocket, flipping it open and letting out a gruff 'Charlie Swan' in way of greeting. He listened for a moment before giving a sharp 'I'm on my way.' Flipping the phone shut he quickly dusted himself off before picking up the collected flowers and making his way out of the house making sure to lock it up behind him.

* * *

Jacob sat back with his feet resting up on Charlie's vacated chair flipping through channels only occasionally glancing at Bella's bed ridden state hoping for any sign of change. He had just settled on some old Elvis movie when a female doctor with an expressionless face entered the room, barely acknowledging Jacob as she headed straight for Bella's chart, flipping through the various pages almost mechanically before placing it back on the end of the bed.

"Everything in order?" Jacob questioned as the doctor tried making her way out of the room just as silently as when she had entered, his voice causing her to stop mid step and address him.

"Are you family?" the doctor shot back rudely.

"Closest thing you can get besides her Dad" he countered with an unaffected tone.

"I'm sorry – that's a no and patient information is only for family" the woman countered annoyed before turning and attempting to make her way out again.

"I just want to know if she's okay" Jacob said quickly, his slightly desperate tone gaining the doctor's attention again. "People keep coming and going but no one will tell me anything and they all have this look like she is going to die at any moment. Her dad's not here and I just need to know" he finished deflatedly sitting up in the chair his gaze concentrated on Bella.

"Jake. Right?" the woman continued with a nonchalant tone watching as Jacob nodded his head to her question before giving in. "She is showing minor sign of improvement which considering what happened is good" she relented showing a slight bit of emotion at saying the words aloud.

"What signs?" Jacob asked in a confused panic looking Bella over again to see what he could have possibly missed.

"She was admitted with initial SWs, crashed twice before they got her to theatre. She was diagnosed a TBI while under GA and Dr. Hurst was called in to perform a DC due to ICH which has now settled. She is withstanding OHP and taking fluids again. The doctors were initially concerned about HBP from the SWs but the OXP is making sure her blood receives enough oxygen" She answered robotically only to be met with a confused stare from Jacob.

The woman let out a heavy sigh, almost as if Jacob had asked her for a kidney before walking back to the end of the bed and picking up the chart again. "Bella came in with multiple stab wounds and technically died twice before they got her into theatre. She was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury while in surgery and Dr. Hurst had to perform a decompressive craniectomy due to intracerebral hemorrhaging – I'm sorry. I'm not used to having to speak Neanderthal –" she said annoyed and unapologetic that Jacob hadn't understood her the first time around. "Okay, in a language you will understand. Dr. Hurst performed a procedure called a decompressive craniectomy which means he had to remove part of Bella's skull to relieve the pressure" she continued as if what she was saying wasn't as uncommon as it actually was even though Jacob looked like he was going to throw up at the information.

"The initial injury caused a piece of her skull to break and ruptured one of the vessels in her brain causing intracerebral hemorrhaging – or severe swelling inside her skull which has now settled. She is withstanding her oxygen therapy and taking the IV fluids again. Dr. Rowland and Dr. Hurst were initially concerned about hypertension, sorry – high blood pressure due to the large amount of blood that was lost due to her stab wounds but the therapy is making sure she receives enough oxygen into her blood to reduce the swelling" she said looking over at Jacob who looked slightly better but still on the verge of passing out.

"Charlie never told me that" Jacob said dejectedly looking over at Bella.

"Probably didn't want to worry you. She's not quite out of the woods yet but the prompt treatment she received generally results in a quicker and complete recovery" the unknown woman finished her gaze also falling to Bella.

"So that's good right?" he asked not waiting for an answer "that's good?" he repeated to himself quietly as his hands instantly came up to his forehead in a clenched praying motion as he started saying something quietly to himself in a language the woman had never heard before. "Thank you –" Jacob finally said louder as he thanked the woman and hinted for her name only causing the woman more annoyance.

"Dr. Young" the woman relented "Brienna Young" she finished standing dormant with a bothered tone. When Jacob made no attempt to continue the conversation she turned and started to make her way from the room again.

"She talks about you" Jacob said cutting through the silence of the room and causing Brienna to stop at the door. "She really likes you" he continued smiling to himself almost as if he had just blurted it out not expecting Brienna to hear it but causing her to turn around and face him none the less. "I just wanted to say that I'm grateful she has someone like you - here for her I mean" he finished with complete sincerity as he looked from Bella to Brienna confirming that she was meant to hear his statements.

Brienna was slightly taken aback. She considered Bella to be one of her closest friends but had never expected she had made just as much of an impact on Bella's life. The two had met five years ago back on their first day at Washington East. Brienna could still remember it as if it was only yesterday. She had been raised in a family that expected nothing but greatness. If it was a school report that was required she was expected to get an A+, if it was a speech that needed to be given she was expected to debate her point until the cows came in. Hell if it was as simple as setting up a cake stand hers were expected to outshine any of the others in the vicinity. Greatness was expected no matter what. So it had been nothing out of the ordinary when Brienna had shown up forty five minutes early to orientation. What had surprised her even more was ten minutes later a skinny, pale brunette girl came walking in and took a seat across from her.

The two had sat in relative silence for the most part until Bella had offered her a stick of gum while they waited. The latter of the women accepting the polite offer before slinking back into her seat just as others started to come in and wait around them. The day had passed by relatively quickly with an overload of information that their attendings would expect the interns to know.

The next day as she watched each of the thirty or so new interns enter the dressing room talking nervously amongst themselves as they changed into their scrubs and prepared for the day ahead – their first official shift – Brienna couldn't help the competitiveness that seemed to rear its ugly head until she noticed that almost every single one of them looked out of their element. Not that she wasn't feeling that but she had learnt to mask her emotions at an early age. Looking across the room from her she noticed that Bella seemed perfectly content, almost like she had been there for years. It was in that moment that Brienna decided Bella was going to be her main competition and she needed to know more. At first the relationship had just been purely work colleagues, but as the shifts went on, the patients piled up and the attendings found every excuse possible to ride their asses she found herself relying more and more on Bella who ultimately seemed to keep herself collected no matter what. As the days turned into months Brienna found herself thinking less of Bella as competition and more of sister. The two seemingly thinking alike and enjoying each other's company. Brienna was about to respond when Jacob jumped from his seat.

"Oh my god. Did you see that? She moved. Bella moved her hand" he screamed pointing down at the hand in question as Brienna pushed him out of the way and began to check Bella over.

"B? Can you hear me? It's me Brie. Squeeze my hand if you can hear me?" Brienna said with rushed excitement as she took Bella's hand and held it in her own - waiting for a response. "Page Doctor Rowlands and Hurst" Brienna yelled to a passing nurse as she tried Bella once more. "Bella –I know you're tired but please just squeeze my hand" She begged as she looked from Bella's face to her hand.

"Bella – please" Jacob begged from behind Dr. Young cemented in his spot looking over her shoulder as he waited for the same sign. "Bells, just open your eyes" he continued begging until finally Bella's eyes began to flutter open and she managed to grasp lightly onto Brienna's hand causing both occupants to let out sighs of relief.

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**Author's Notes II: **That's it for another fortnight. Hopefully you guys are all enjoying the ride and as always I would love to hear what you think.


	7. 7 My Black Ocean

**Disclaimer:** This is _fan_fiction_._

**Title: **Black Trauma

**Rating:** Rated 'M' for 'Foul language, mild alcohol use, and sexual implications.'

**Genre:** Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, General, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,

**Warnings:** Adult Content, Discriminatory Language, OOC

**Pairings:** Bella/OC, Bella/ Jacob

**Character/Word Count: **22,625characters/ 4,138 words

**Summary: **Bella Swan is completing her final year as a surgical intern at Washington East Memorial Hospital when tragedy strikes. While dealing with the tragedy Bella becomes torn between two great men who themselves have their own issues to overcome. Enter romance, desire, suspense and above all else determination to overcome even the most out of reach possibilities.

**Author's Notes I: **Hey everyone. I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Thanks to everyone that reviewed/favorited or added the story. I do very much appreciate it. Thank you to the wonderful Kym who as always is a wonderful sounding board for my many crazy ideas and encouraging me. I do apologize for the delay once again in getting this chapter up. Anyway I hope you enjoy.

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**7\. My Black Ocean**

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Bella could feel the dried up gravel give way under her bare blistered feet with each running stride she took across the vast and empty plains. She had been running in what felt like an aimless circle for months on end through an infinite field of dead and decaying giant hogweed in a desperate attempt to find any way out of the dark and exclusive world she now found herself in. One that quite frankly scared and confused her. A world in which she was all alone.

Everywhere she looked she saw her worst nightmares, darkness, hollowness and depression. The never ending fields were a sea of mistful greyness, the tall weeds swaying lithely as the sky over head rolled out wave after wave of thunderous anger, the only light coming from the dull moon and sparotic flashes of lightening as a damp breeze blew ice cold air against Bella's exposed skin. Ironic - Bella would think confused as there had never been a downpour of any kind the entire time which did nothing more than to further remind her of how helpless and truly alone she was. Her body ached heavily with dreariness and exhaustion; tired from the continuous running and lack of sleep. It seemed to be all that was all she ever did here – run. There were no rests, no momentary stops or chances to catch her breath. For reasons unbeknown to her, Bella kept having this overwhelming feeling in the pit of her stomach yelling at her that if she stopped for just a second everything she had been fighting for in the last couple of months would come crumbling down and it would be the last of her. All that determination and fight that she had been using would have been for nothing and she didn't want her life to mean nothing. All those late nights studying at the library, the early mornings of quick showers and cold coffee, the blowing off her friends for '_one last study session_' would have been for nothing, her entire life leading up to this point would have been meaningless. So she continued to force herself to put one clumsily foot in front of the other; determined to find a way out of this nightmare.

Bella had been stuck in this world, a world she knew she didn't belong in, for longer than she could remember. If she had to guess she would say that she had been here at least eight months, but she couldn't be certain. There was never any daylight just a sad starless night that seemed to roll into one continuous never ending black loop. Over the months she had thought only a handful of times about giving in to her body's desires to rest, sleep, breathe again but then she would be saved by these fleeting moments of hope. Moments when she could swear she could feel the brush of warmth against the palm of her hand or the wisp of heat over her face as if someone was placing a loving kiss softly to her temple and on the days when she was at the point of no return sweet sentiments of whispered concerns and encouragement willing her to go on and keep fighting rolled through her, pushing her through even the darkest of thoughts. But no matter how hard she tried or how hard she fought the '_other side_' it just seemed to keep getting further and further away and today was one of those days that she needed a little sign of encouragement. Her feet ached and her throat was dry from all the dust.

She prayed out loud that one of '_her angels_' would speak to her. If ever there was a time she needed them – it was today. She ran for what felt like another two miles when she finally heard it. It was faint but it was there. A familiar yet somehow unknown voice descending down on her like an echo from a god "She talks about you" the male voice which she had only heard on a handful of occasions before said. The statement at first confused her but then drew unknown emotions deep from within. Managing to slow her to a jog and spin around in the darkness, her white strappy sundress fanning against her knees as she searched for where the source of the voice came from.

"She really likes you" the voice rang clear again rolling in sync with a wave of thunder this time causing Bella to falter in her step as a slim void in the sky open up and became visible at the far end of the field. Without hesitation Bella put all her remaining energy into running towards the light, her arms swinging heavily to push the long swaying hogweed out of the way as her hair swished violently against her face. The determination and will driving her to make it to the other side.

"I just wanted to say that I'm grateful she has someone like you" the echo continued driving Bella to push harder through the overgrown weeds and faster towards the light "here for her I mean" the voice finished with a touch of sadness in his voice as Bella finally managed to gain some ground on the opening. Bella began to feel the warmth of a summer's night air, or the heat from a hot campfire teasing her fingertips as she willed her body to take those few extra steps to get within arm's reach of the opening. This was the first time in a long time that she felt like there was a slimmer of hope of getting out of this horrible place. From past experiences she knew there was only one chance to get it right and this time she was going to be on her game. She knew the signs from past attempts – a slight tingle in her hand, a throb in her chest, the pinch above her eye and then the one thing that always caused her to fail – the blinding rips of her skin tearing to shreds. As she continued to run as fast as her frail body would allow she waited as one by one each of the signs began to pass through her body. The tingle – barely recognizable but there. The throb – a dull ache to what was already sore limbs. The pinch – a delusion of slight relief before the pain curling rips.

Bella screamed as she felt imaginary claws pulling at her ice cold skin from every direction imaginable, shredding and tearing the tan tissue from her bones in an attempt to halter her escape. But she was prepared. She knew that the pain was only momentary so she focused all her attention on the light that stared ahead of her and forced the pain from the invisible attack out of her mind as she steadied herself with a one-two-three before taking her chances and reaching with all her might for the light, her arms easily getting through the threshold as the last of her skin was ripped from her body and sucked in to the other side when all of a sudden everything went black.

* * *

Brienna and Jacob stood still in their spots staring in disbelief as their newly awakened friend began thrashing her arms around violently screaming with a hoarse voice as if she was fighting off a would be attacker. The doctor in Brienna snapped her out of her trance and forced her to rush over the Bella's bedside her arms automatically going to her shoulders in an attempt to hold her in place and calm her down so that she wouldn't hurt herself.

"Bella. It's okay. It's Brie. You're in the hospital. You're safe" she said struggling to keep Bella's frantic body from thrashing around. "Get a nurse" she said in a calm but frantic voice at the same time turning to Jacob who sat unmoving in his chair just staring at his best friend. "_Now_" Brienna yelled, waking Jacob and forcing him into action. Jumping from his seat he quickly ran to the door and started yelling for help. The tall opposing native man obviously making a nuisance of himself as three duty nurses came rushing into the room and straight to Bella's bedside. "Give her three and half milligrams of Midazolam and Haloperidol" Brienna ordered as the nurses quickly jumped into action. The first of the three going to the other side of the bed and helping to hold Bella's other shoulder and arm down as the other ran to the foot of the bed and held Bella's feet in place. The third of the nurses quickly rushed outside only to return seconds later with the requested medication. Brienna watched as the second of the nurses prepared the correct dosage and began to administer it through the IV line connected to Bella's arm.

The drug only took a minute to take effect, quickly calming Bella back into a peaceful stupor, allowing Brienna the first chance she had had since Bella woke to check on Jacob who stood motionless in the doorway of the room. The tall man clearly in shock with his handsome features showing the tell-tale signs of horror from what he had just witnessed. "I want a nurse checking her vitals every fifteen minutes" Brienna ordered looking to each of the three nurses who had started to re-arrange Bella in the hospital bed. "Keep an eye on her BP, HR &amp; rhythm. You are to inform Dr. Rowlands, Hurst or myself of even the slightest of changes to her temperature or respiratory rate - understood!" she finished dryly walking over to Jacob grabbing him by the arm and leading him from the room.

The two walked down the corridor before finally settling on a row of chairs across from the nurse's station. They sat in silence for what felt like forever before Brienna finally broke the silence. "She is okay. What you saw in there –" Brienna said freezing, her cold demeanor disappearing before being replaced with slight concern. She didn't know how to explain what had just happened to someone who obviously cared so deeply about the woman who lay sedated in the room just a few doors down, in a way that wouldn't freak him completely out. Taking a couple of deep breaths Brienna composed herself her mind working in over drive to think of the easiest thing to say. "Bella's body didn't know how to process what happened to her. What you saw in there was her body reacting to the shock. She is okay but I gave her a sedative. It will just calm her down and back into a sleep. I promise you she is okay" Brienna concluded as simply as she could looking at the catatonic man. She was uncertain if he had actually taken in anything she had said as he just sat there nodding his head with mechanic precision. "You should probably call her Dad" she added after a minute.

Jacob finally looked at her as if she had just spoken to him in a foreign language before recognition hit. "Charlie. God. I need to call Charlie" he started saying quickly over and over as he stood and started hitting his pockets in a frantic attempt of looking for his phone.

Brienna pulled her boring small silver phone from her pocket and held it out to Jacob an unamused look on his face. "Here use mine" she said offering it to the jumbling man who graciously took it and began quickly dialing Charlie Swan's number. Brienna tried not to listen as Jacob relayed to Bella's father the events that had just transpired, but the shock and concern that was clearly evident in his voice made it increasingly difficult to do so. Before she knew it Jacob had finished the phone call, clipped her phone shut and was handing it back to her.

"I feel so hopeless" Jacob confessed helplessly flopping back into his previous seat next to Brienna. "I feel like I should be out there doing something – anything. But I just don't know what" he finished putting his face in his hands.

"You're doing it" Brienna simply said leaning back into her chair as the two fell into a comfortable silence and waited for Charlie to arrive.

Thirty five agonizing minutes later a frantic Charlie Swan came running through the hospital doors and down the corridor to Bella's hospital room completely over shooting it in his frantic state before spotting Jacob and back tracking to where he and Brienna sat. Jacob couldn't help the smile that fell on his face as he remembered the last time he saw Charlie Swan in such a state. He and Bella has been no older than ten when they had decided to build a fort up in some trees in the woods behind the Black's family home with their friends Quil and Embry. Bella had been voted to be the first, or in hind sight now – the test dummy, up in the completed contraption when the ladder they had wound together snapped and she had fallen to the ground; breaking her arm in three places. Jacob had run back to his house and grabbed his Dad who had run straight into the woods, picked Bella up and taken her straight to the hospital. Charlie had been frantic and furious when he finally got there, pretty much in the same way like he was now. Jacob and his Dad has spent the next three weeks practically begging Charlie to let Bella come for a stay. The elder of the two finally relenting once he saw how sad Bella had become at not being able to see her best friend.

"She's awake?" he asked quickly stopping in front of Jacob and tearing him back into reality, heaving greedily for air. "She's awake?" he questioned again finally replacing the oxygen supply to his brain. Jacob nodded his head and stood with Brienna before the trio made their way to Bella's room.

Flynn Hurst was standing near one of the monitors checking over Bella's chart as they came walking in. "Chief Swan" he said looking up and acknowledging Charlie's presence as Brienna left the room silently to go do her rounds.

"Is everything alright? Is my daughter okay?" Charlie said the distress returning to his voice as he stared straight at Flynn and demanded an answer.

"Your daughter is fine, Charlie. The nurses filled me in on what happened earlier and I've checked over her chart. Her reaction is completely normal for someone who has gone through what she did. Look, she should be coming out of the sedation any minute now and I will do a full assessment just to be certain, but everything appears as normal as it could be" Flynn said upon seeing Charlie's worry.

"But she's going to wake up? She's going to wake up" Charlie finished quietly to himself as he stepped closer to his daughter's hospital bed and took hold of her hand, squeezing it gently within his as he looked down at his sleeping daughter. A moment of silence passed when it was as if Charlie's unheard prayers were finally being answered when Bella's eyes began to flutter open and drowsily search the room scanning over the people in the room until they landed on Charlie. "Bella, honey. It's Dad." Charlie said with glee as Bella's eyes settled on her disheveled father and she noticeably calmed. "Hey sweetie. It's okay. I'm here now" Charlie said in a soothing voice, a smile of pure happiness spreading over his face as he stroked her hair softly. Charlie noticed that Flynn was moving closer to the bed and indicating that he needed to speak with Bella. Looking down at his daughter assessing her state before nodding his head in approval "Bells Dr. Hurst needs to check you over, but I will be standing right here" Charlie concluded taking a step back to allow Flynn some room while still holding her hand.

A moment passed of pure silence between the father and daughter when Flynn stepped into Bella's eye line with complete calm and confidence that was expected of an attending the fact that Bella's body seemed to tense slightly at his presence not going unnoticed. "Bella. It's Hurst. You're okay but you were attacked in your home. We rushed you into emergency surgery and I had to perform a decompressive craniectomy. You've been in a coma for the last day and a half." He said as Bella started to hyperventilate.

"Sshh- sweetheart. I'm here. I'm here and you're safe" Charlie said as he stepped back over to her bedside his presence automatically demanding his daughter's attention and calming her once again. Charlie made sure that Bella was before nodding towards Flynn once again who stepped over to Bella's bedside and waited for Charlie to continue. "Dr. Hurst here just needs to check some things, but I will be standing right here the whole time" Charlie said with an encouraging smile.

Flynn grabbed Bella's left hand and asked her to squeeze his, before commandeering her right one quickly from Charlie and asking her to do the same. Seemingly satisfied he returned her hand back to Charlie's as he pulled his pen light from the pocket of his blue scrub pants and began assessing her pupil reaction. "Well I'm happy to say that everything seems to be going along fine. Your pupil reaction is what I would expect from someone that has had brain surgery and your neuro reaction is excellent considering the circumstances. I'm still going to keep you in for a couple of days to make sure that the wounds are completely healed and that you don't develop an infection." He finished charmingly happy looking at Bella then to her father and Jacob who sat quietly in the corner. "I can't see any reason why you can't be discharged home in a couple of days" he finished happily as he stood from the bed and was immediately met with two large bronzed arms engulfing him in a bear hug. Flynn chuckled gleefully to himself, not one to let the not so often seen pleasant side of medicine escape him. "Now I'm sure the two of you have a lot to catch Bella up on so I will leave you to it." He finished, slapping Jacob on the arms as he stepped around him and exited the room leaving the two men alone with a conscious Bella for the first time in twenty four hours.

* * *

Bella felt exhausted. Between the various doctors and nurses who kept coming every five minutes under the guise of checking her vitals to give their 'well wishes' and Charlie hovering over her anytime anyone came near her bed as if another attack was imminent –Bella was grateful that visiting hours were over and the nursing staff had asked everyone to leave for the night so that she could get some rest. But like in her alternate universe, sleep kept evading her.

She was scared that if she closed her eyes and let herself relax for even just a minute she would find herself back in the dark and depressing field she had only just managed to claw herself out from not less than twenty four hours earlier. Her mind was working overtime trying to process the reality of the situation she found herself in but everything seemed so absurd. Someone had attacked her. Someone had broken into her house with the intention of ending her life and they had almost succeeded. After the Detectives had left Bella had started processing every face in her mind that she had encounted in the last week trying to pick out anomalies that would hint to the person who wished her harm but the only people that were coming to mind were those that she worked with and she couldn't fathom anyone in her inner circle that would want to or be able to harm her to the extent that she had been.

She didn't understand why anyone would want to do this to her. What had she done that was so bad that it would warrant an attack?

A small knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts. Struggling to sit up in her bed she resorted to turning her head slightly so that the door was visible enough that she could see who was standing on the other side. Kobi Patel stood in Bella's doorway with uncertain eyes locked on Bella as the hustle of night shift in the hospital carried on around them. "Can I?" he asked softly seeing if it was okay for him to come in.

Bella nodded her head slightly, the surprise at Kobi's unexpected visit evident on her face before the exhaustion washed over her once again. She watched as Kobi walk into the room and over to the vacant chair next to her bed that had been occupied for most of the day by a quiet and withdrawn Jacob, indicating silently with his head for her permission to sit. After getting no reply from her he sat down gingerly, pulling the chair closer to the bed making sure as he did so to leave enough room so that Bella didn't feel crowded or uncomfortable.

Bella watched as Kobi settled himself with weary eyes as a comfortable silence fell over the room. A moment or two passed between them before Kobi spoke. "I won't stay long. I just needed – I mean, I wanted to make sure that you were okay and didn't need anything before I go" he said barely above a whisper as if he hadn't really wanted for Bella to hear him. The fear that anything he said would somehow convey his true hidden feelings overwhelming him to the point that he was having second thoughts about coming to see Bella in the first place when her hoarse rough voice broke through his reverie.

"Tired" she simply said as her eyelids began to fail on her and close slightly before she juttered them open again quickly. The action not going unnoticed by Kobi who put it out of his mind for the time being and quickly reached for the plastic cup of water on her hospital bed tray. Holding the small straw to her lips, he encouraged her to take a sip in an effort to try and ease some of the coarseness from her voice.

Bella lifted her head to meet the straw but only managed to take a few sips before needing to rest again. Her eyes fluttering shut again before she forced them open violently once more. This time Kobi didn't let it slide. "I should go. You're tired and you need your rest." he said softly as he placed the cup back in its original spot and made to leave.

"I can't" Bella's broken voice echoed through the room the look of pure pain on Bella's face from speaking stopping Kobi in his tracks and forcing him to sit back down. With slight confusion on his face before quick understanding registered with him. He had seen the symptoms all too often before in his war buddies once they had returned from service. The nightmares. The fear. The never ending hollowness that was PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder.

If Kobi was being honest with himself he had suffered from it – albeit minimally – when he had returned from his last tour of Afghanistan and before being offered the job at Washington East. He was no expert on the matter by any stretch but he did know a thing or two about just getting through the night. Reaching out and grabbing Bella's hand he squeezed it gently. "I know your confused and probably have a thousand thoughts going through your mind right now, but I know what it's like and if you need someone to talk to – about anything, I'm here" he said with a voice full of understanding and concern. Kobi knew that he was heading into dangerous territory and all Bella had to do was say the word and he would do it.

"Please. Stay" Bella said barely above a whisper wincing in pain with each word she spoke. Kobi didn't need to say anything as he settled back into the hard hospital chair, his eyes trained on Bella, their hands still entwined as she allowed her body to finally relax and fall into a slumber.

"I've got you" he whispered. "I've got you" he said again, an unknown promise to the sleeping woman as he too finally let himself fall into a dreamless slumber for the first time since the attack - fully aware that the line he kept putting between them was now all but gone.

* * *

**Author's Notes II: **There you have it for another chapter. I have already started work on the next installment so hopefully not as long of a wait. As always I would love to hear what you think. xx


	8. 8 It's All In Your Head

**Disclaimer:** This is _fan_fiction_._

**Title: **Black Trauma

**Rating:** Rated 'M' for 'Foul language, mild alcohol use, and sexual implications.'

**Genre:** Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, General, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,

**Warnings:** Adult Content, Discriminatory Language, OOC

**Pairings:** Bella/OC, Bella/ Jacob

**Character/Word Count: **20, 098characters/ 3, 623 words

**Summary: **Bella Swan is completing her final year as a surgical intern at Washington East Memorial Hospital when tragedy strikes. While dealing with the tragedy Bella becomes torn between two great men who themselves have their own issues to overcome. Enter romance, desire, suspense and above all else determination to overcome even the most out of reach possibilities.

**Author's Notes I: **I think it goes without saying that I am sooo sorry with how late this chapter is. Things have been hectic in real-life (not a good excuses - I know) but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Also just a side note – I know that if something like this happened to someone in real life it would obviously take a lot longer for them to recover, but for the purposes of this story I am ignoring that. So with that said – the next chapter.

* * *

**8\. It's All In Your Head**

Detective Breen Monroe maneuvered his police issued black SUV into Washington East Memorial Hospital with ease as his partner of almost six years, the slightly older Dan Iverson slurped sloppily on the remainder of his store bought coffee. "So what's your take on all of this?" Breen asked as he shifted the car into park and pulled the keys from the ignition, watching as his partner wiped the escaped liquid from the corner of his mouth with his old out dated red tie.

"I honestly don't know" he replied with a gruff voice. Dan Iverson had seen a lot in his thirty plus years in the police force but regardless of all that experience he couldn't have possibly been prepared for what he saw that day in Isabella Swan's house. He had no idea as to how that woman was still alive. The amount of blood that covered that laundry room when he had arrived was no doubt enough to have drained a full grown adult dry. Yet here they were preparing to try and interview her. "She's a model citizen. Grew up in a small town west of here. Daughter of a Police Chief. Single parent. Mother died when she was ten –" Dan started as he sifted through the paperwork in his manila file which he had compiled late last night. "Straight A student. Graduated within the top ten percent of her class at Fork High School. Went on to get her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Berkley and a M.D from Stanford where she finished with top honors. Started at Washington East five years ago. Never been married. No children. No indication of any sort of criminal history that I could find – hell according to our system she hasn't even had a speeding ticket issued against her. From all accounts Isabella Swan is the poster child for every parents dream daughter." He finished closing the file and exiting the vehicle, Breen steadily in tow.

"So our only hope at the moment is that she remembers something? Is that wise given her current state?"

"I don't like this anymore than you do, but until we get the forensic reports back she is all we have" Dan said with a tired a voice as he absentmindedly rubbed a hand over his face. The coffee doing nothing more than giving his brain a moment's stimulation.

Together they walked into the drab hallways of Washington East passing the all too familiar paintings that hung on the pristine cream walls, the noise and sounds reminding them of all the despair and agony that hid just beyond the barrier of the 'Doctors Only' swinging doors. It was something the two men had become accustomed too over the years since this was a place they had to visit on an almost weekly basis for one reason or another. But this time it wasn't the same. The whole situation felt different to them. As if everyone was watching them, scrutinizing and analyzing their every move. And of course they would be. This wasn't just any old unassuming victim that had ended up on their desk – no this was a policeman's daughter, someone who would have been bought up in the world of extra vigilance and security – to everyone on the force she was family. Which meant that Dan knew he and Breen needed to find answers and close this case quickly. For everyone's sake.

"Chief Swan. Mr. Black. Our apologies for the intrusion but we need to ask Dr. Swan some questions" Dan said as they quietly entered the room.

"That's if she is up to it of course" Breen added when he saw the look of apprehension overshadow the tired and disheveled look on Charlie Swans face before he turned and looked at Bella who only nodded her head slowly in approval.

"Dad, it's.. it's okay…" Bella started with a hoarse voice as she tried to reach out for Charlie's arm "..we might as well get it over with" she finished, trying to slide her body up slightly into more of a comfortable sitting position causing Jacob to instantly reach out and offer his assistance which she readily accepted.

"I promise. This won't take long" Dan said as he and Breen moved further into the room closing the door behind them to allow for privacy. "It would appear that you were not the victim of a random burglary but specifically targeted. Can you remember anything from the night of your attack?" Dan continued pulling his notepad and pen from his trench coat pocket and holding at the ready, like a reporter trying to get his latest scoop would.

Bella shook her head before wincing at the pain and stopping. "I'm sorry. All I remember is leaving work after my shift ended at six and going straight home." she said this time with pain written on her face as her voice struggled to make the sound.

"Did you notice anything unusual on your way home? Anyone acting strange or possibly following you?" Breen asked his hand at the ready to write down her response.

Bella stilled trying to think back to that evening. Her mind analyzing every step she took or person she spoke to that her subconscious would allow her to remember before finally answering "No. Nothing was out of the ordinary."

"And when you got home? Did you notice if the door was locked or if anything was out of place?"

Again Bella seemed to think for a moment trying to recall a hidden or possibly lost memory of when she arrived home. "I remember the door being locked because I had to bend down to pick up a flower that had been placed on the door mat and I left them hanging in the lock after I opened it" she answered.

"Any idea on who might have left the flower there?" Breen continued.

Bella shook her head, wincing when the movement became too much once again before answering. "No. I thought it was strange but figured that whoever put it there must've had the wrong house. I checked for a card to call them but there wasn't one"

"Has anything like that happened before?" Dan asked

"No. Not that I remember but you might have to check with my housemate Adam." Bella said weariness starting to drip through her voice.

"Can you remember what happened after you entered the house?" Dan continued.

"No.. no I'm sorry. I don't remember anything past that" she answered as tears began to form in her eyes and Jacob pulled himself closer to her.

"Okay. That's okay." Dan said trying to reassure her. "So you don't recall seeing your attacker?"

Bella shook her head again. "No. I'm sorry it's all fuzzy. I'm not really helping – am I?" she said to no one as her tears began to escape more freely now. Jacob leaned in close to her neck and began whispering small reassurances into her ear, forcing her to close her eyes and calm almost instantly.

"I'm sorry. I know this is difficult and we are almost done. Can you think of anyone that might want to harm you or has anyone made any threats that you are aware of?" Breen interjected softly.

"No… no I don't know anyone who would be capable of doing this?" she answered barely above a whisper.

Dan noticing Bella's slow decline began again. "Just one last question then we will let you rest" he stated before finally asking "have you had any problems at work with patients or any of your co-workers? Anyone who may have seemed overly aggressive towards you?"

Bella thought again, this time causing the color from her face to drain slightly. "Officer, every day we see people on some of the worst days of their lives. It's not uncommon for at least a few of us to be yelled at or threatened because something has gone wrong with a loved one. Half the time they don't mean anything by it and we are the easiest targets" she finished as a small yawn escaped her.

Dan and Breen decided to take that as their queue to leave. "Thank you for your time and if we have any follow up questions we will be in contact" Dan said appreciatively as he caught Charlie's eye and indicated with his head for the Police Chief to follow them. Charlie shot a worried glance to Jake and his daughter. Watching as his best friend's son held Bella's hand tightly within his own and began whispering soft reassurances in her ear again. His other hand gently pushing her hair out of her face lulling her slowly to sleep.

"Chief Swan.." Breen started as the trio stepped from the room and into the hustle of the hospital hallway.

"Please – Charlie" he offered back taking the two detectives in. "Have you got anything from the crime scene?" he continued, his caring father tone gone and replaced by his no nonsense cop demeanor.

"No, nothing yet. We're looking into every aspect of your daughter's life but so far we've come up clean." Dan answered looking Charlie set in the eye.

"..and while she is here?" he countered quickly, wasting no time.

"We're going to speak to the Chief of Surgery now and will arrange for a protective detail to be placed at the door at all times. We will reassess the situation when she is discharged." Breen replied, understanding the man's need and want for answered.

"Do you think there will be another attempt?" Charlie asked, his demeanor softening slightly, surprised by his own suggestion before his cop act returned.

"We're not certain, but from everything we have collected we can't risk it– whoever attacked your daughter wanted her dead and once they find out that she's not – we can only assume that they will make another attempt." Breen said looking over his shoulder as if he suddenly felt an unwanted presence watching them, but noticing nothing out of the ordinary.

"We just wanted to let you know what was going on and that we will keep you in the loop with our investigation" Dan said, noting that the two detectives were now late for their meeting with Dr Rowland.

"Thank you. I'd really appreciate that." Charlie said shaking each of the detective's hands before they started to make their way towards the Chiefs office. It took a moment before Charlie stopped them. "Oh.. Detectives. I forgot to mention. Bella said she picked up a flower from her doormat when she got home but doesn't think it was meant for her. I'm sure it's nothing but thought I should let you know that I found a white singular flower in the laundry room when I went to go grab some things for Bella. I still have it."

The two detectives looked at each other as if they were having some sort of telepathic conversation amongst them before Dan turned to Charlie and said "Thank you Charlie. We will stop by later to collect it for evidence". Charlie in turn just nodded his head before walking back into Bella's room.

* * *

Ben Rowland marched his way into the surgical ward conference room with defiant confidence and hidden exhaustion. It had by far been one of the longest nights he could remember in his thirty year surgical career. As the two detectives stepped in behind him Ben noted that every head of department from the hospital was seated around the large oval conference table – the fatigue and stress written on most of their faces. Flynn Hurst and Taylor Richardson were at one end of the table deep in conversation about the latest advancements in neurology while Ainslee Peterson, Kobi Patel and Tony Sinclair sat next to the duo discussing the best treatment course for one of their mutual patients. Ben watched them for a second. The trio absentmindedly talking amongst themselves like it was the only way they were currently keeping themselves awake at that point in time. Nathan Humphries and Casandra Dixon made small talk across from them as Kate Tanner sat quietly in her spot just observing those around her. Josie Landay from Human Resources and Henry Baer form Legal sat quietly next to her with bored looks on their faces the duo clearly unimpressed by the interruption to their otherwise normally structured day.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I know most of you have had a long night but given the events from last night I thought it was imperative that you all be brought up to speed - so I will try and keep this as short as possible" Rowland started as he walked into the room and made his way to the head of the table, his presence capturing everyone's attention and quietening them instantly. "As I am sure you are all aware by now, Dr Isabella Swan was attacked in her residence after her shift yesterday. She was rushed into emergency surgery late last night and is recovering as well as can be expected. These two gentleman..." Rowland paused to wave a hand at the two Detectives standing off to his side "...are Detectives Monroe and Iverson from the Washington Police Department. They are investigating her case and will need to have interviews with each one of you and some of your interns." Rowland finished stepping back from the table and indicating for the Detectives to address the group.

"Ahh right…" Dan Iverson started. "…a protective detail has been assigned to stay with Dr Swan at all hours and we have authorized with your Chief that only limited personnel will have access to her room." Dan finished looking each of the Doctors in the face before continuing. "We will be pulling staff momentarily from your services throughout the day and will keep our interviews to a minimum as so not to disrupt with any of your patients."

"You are not obligated nor require legal representation at this time, however should you feel the need - Henry Baer will make himself available.." the Chief interjected pointing to the hospitals lawyer "…you are encouraged to use his services for all interviews. The hospital will also be providing counselling for yourselves and any of your residents should you wish. And I would encourage that you all see Ms. Landay to set up a time" he concluded with a sympathetic nod. A moment passed of complete silence, Rowland registering that the collective group had been through more than enough over the last twenty four hours before he concluded the meeting. "I think it goes without saying that we all care for and are concerned with what has happened, however I don't think I need to remind any of you that what has been discussed here stays within these walls until the matter has been resolved" He finished with a stern look. "That is all. You can get back to your patients."

Ben Rowland watched as one by one each of his most trusted senior staff members stood up and walked drearily out of the room side stepping the two Detectives as they exited, each one looking more somber than the last. Ben allowed his heavy body to sink into the closest chair, the exhaustion and emotional discomfort from what had happened finally washing over him as the reality of what had transpired to one of his most beloved surgeon's came hitting him at full force. Today was no doubt going to be one of the most grueling and testing days for everyone in Washington East's history

* * *

Bella laid back and closed her eyes, enjoying the momentary solace as Jake and her father had gone to run some errands. True to the Detectives words not even an hour after they had visited a uniformed police officer had shown up and stationed himself out the front of her room. Bella had watched him closely in the short span of time that he had been there and already nicknamed him 'Frodo' for his uncanny resemblance to the character from the Lord of the Rings movie. Frodo was short in stature with wiry brown curls that sat haphazardly under his Police cap. Looking at him Bella would guess that he was around 105-110 pounds, but she couldn't be sure given the medication she had been put on. Regardless the man seemed to take his job seriously and had pounced quickly yet politely on anyone that had tried to gain access to her room – at one point even managing to refuse Charlie access when he had left his wallet in the room and ducked off to speak with one of the nurses. Frodo had only just been saved by Charlie's wrath when Jake had noticed the commotion and quickly spoke with the officer.

Bella felt herself nodding off when she heard the door to her room open and close quietly. She didn't bother to open her eyes as she assumed it was probably Jake returning from the cafeteria and her body was starting to protest her being awake again. It wasn't until she felt the bed shift slightly under a new found weight that she opened her eyes groggily and smiled at the occupant.

"Hey Vanilla. You still slackin' off in here" the softly spoken voice of Adam King said as he looked cautiously over Bella's battered and bruised body.

"My knight in shining armor." Bella returned groggily as she tried to slide her body over slightly so that Adam could sit on the bed more comfortably.

"No. Stay…" he said as he gently grabbed her arms and stopped her from moving "…and don't call me that" he added quietly before looking away from her. Even with all the medications and everything she had been through Bella felt the uneasiness in Adam's voice and decided not to press the issue.

"Don't call me Vanilla then" Bella said with a faint smile, trying to lighten the mood up with the mention of the nickname Adam had reserved just for her upon their first meeting.

The hospital mixer where they had met seemed like a lifetime ago now, but in reality was only five years gone. It had been at this event that the two green interns had spoken briefly in which time Adam had proceeded to come on to Bella who in return politely turned him down. But it had been too late and the damage already done. With a sour taste left in his mouth Adam had wrongly accused her of being a lead on and from that point on she had been _Vanilla_. The perfect term of endearment – at least he thought so. Vanilla was nothing more than plain, boring and bland and her least favorite - conventional. It drove Bella insane and he loved it.

For the first two years at the hospital Bella would find herself more often than not in some sort of conflict with the somewhat imposing arrogant man. From things like disagreeing on the best course of treatment for a patient to simple things like being left to do all the scut work – Adam had made her life hell. But then things seemed to suddenly change and took a turn in their third year. Bella had noticed that their altercations were becoming less frequent but more confrontational until one day when Bella decided to confront him the two having it out in the locker room. It had been then that the normally cocky man had broken down and cried in her arms. It was then that she discovered the true extent of his pain.

He was a single father to a little five year old boy, who had recently passed away to cancer. He had spent the better part of his three years at the hospital pulling double shifts and volunteering for extra services to be able to afford his son's treatment and now that his son had passed not only was he broke and lost but he was being forced from the home that he raised and lost his son in. Bella had been in shock. She had no idea that this was going on in the man's life and when she had offered him her support he had been only too proud and reluctant lashing out instead saying that he didn't need or want her sympathy. But the ever compassionate Bella had reasoned with him. She knew he had no real close friends. That he was struggling beyond words. She offered him a rent free room in her house, no explanations required until he got himself back on his feet. Ever since then the two had formed a strange but strong friendship.

"I just wanted to check in on you..." Adam said with a halfhearted smirk "… besides you're the hot topic around the hospital" he finished.

"Great" Bella replied a hint of annoyance slipping through her tone. She hated being the subject of everyone's attention.

"Bella… I'm sorry I wasn't there… I shoulda been at home with you… Maybe if I… this wouldn't… you wouldn't…" Adam said struggling to get the words out.

"Don't!" Bella said as sternly as she could. "You are not to blame for – whatever this is." She continued looking him straight in the eye. "There was nothing either of us could have done to change the outcome." She said a yawn escaped her. "Besides you were there when I really needed it" she finished just above a whisper as she began to fall into an unwilling slumber.

"Sleep" Adam said simply as he readjusted himself next to Bella's bed and settled himself in to listen as she peacefully slept, waiting for the return of the only other two men who would give their lives for this woman.

* * *

**Author's Notes II**: So that is it. I hope you all enjoyed it. I want to take a quick moment to thank everyone who has reviewed/PM me. It really does mean a lot and if you feel the urge to do the same for this chapter – it would very much make my day ;-P. xx


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